Ballot Measure 2D Passes!

Ballot measure 2D passed in Tuesday's election by a healthy 61%. It will temporarily lift TABOR restrictions on revenue raised this year by the city in excess of the amendment's complicated rules. The ballot measure was supported by all of the Lakewood city council with the exception of hard-line conservatives Ramey Johnson, Pete Roybal and Mike Bieta.   f

Yes on 2D: Parks, Police & Streets

The best way to move downtown Lakewood forward right now is to vote yes on 2D.

The measure would allow the city of Lakewood to keep $12.5 million dollars in already collected tax revenue. Of that amount, $8.5 million would go to parks, playgrounds and open space. $2 million would go to traffic signals, turn lanes and sidewalks, and an additional $2 million would go to improving police services. 

Without this measure, the city would be forced to refund this money as a result of the TABOR amendment's byzantine rules, which make it impossible for tax revenues to keep up with the demands of a booming economy. 

Importantly, 2D wouldn't be a tax increase. In fact, tax rates would stay the same. The only difference is that the city would be able to keep all of the money currently being collected at those rates. That money could make a big difference, however, in a city with lots of popular projects but not enough money to fund them.

Really, 2D should be an easy yes. Let's keep Lakewood moving forward!

Voters This Fall Can Fix Colorado's School Funding Problems

Voters at both the state and local level have the chance to fix many of Colorado's school funding issues this fall. Here in Jeffco, a bond and mill levy override will be on the ballot at measures 5A and 5B, while Amendment 73 would fix inequities in funding at the state level.

Our Jeffco public schools are shockingly underfunded compared to other school districts in the metro area, with Jeffco receiving $900 less per pupil compared to Denver, Cherry Creek, Littleton and Boulder. This gap plays out in lots of ways in the classroom, but one of the biggest is in terms of teacher quality. Mid-career educators can leave Jeffco and make $10-12K more in other districts. This is a serious issue when you stop to consider that research shows teacher effectiveness rises as teachers gain experience in the classroom. Jeffco has become a training ground for new teachers, who then move on just as they've mastered the basics. It's the old adage, "you get what you pay for," and we're not paying much.

On top of that, Jeffco's physical infrastructure has suffered from decades of deferred maintenance caused by voter unwillingness to fund repairs. The average age of a Jeffco classroom is 50 years, and stories abound of leaking roofs, rodent infestations, and elevated lead levels in school plumbing.

Jeffco's schools are so underfunded that 5A and 5B would only serve to bring Jeffco closer to the level of underfunding experienced by other school districts. The truth is that Colorado's public schools are seriously underfunded compared to schools in other states.

Colorado spends $9,575 per year per pupil. In comparison, California spends $11,495, Minnesota spends $12,382, North Dakota spends $13,373 and Wyoming (Wyoming!!) $16,442.

On the other hand, Mississippi spends just $8,702 per year per student, so at least we're (barely) beating them in terms of investing in our children. Hmm.

Amendment 73 would bring in additional money by taxing personal income over $150,000-- something that would affect few people in downtown Lakewood, where average family incomes hover at right around $48,000 per year. Even for those families who make over $150K, the tax would be minor-- just $81 a year on average for anyone making between $150-$200K a year. Really, it's peanuts compared to the benefits we'd get as a community.

Corporate tax rates and the property rate on non-residential property would also go up slightly. Meanwhile, the tax rate on residential property would actually go down slightly.

I think it's important to point out that Amendment 73 would really only impact the super-wealthy, and that anything to the contrary is part of a scare campaign aimed at seniors and others on fixed or limited incomes. The truth is that very few people would be hit with any additional taxes while our schools and communities would see big benefits.

New Proposal Vacant Land at 100 and 150 S. Wadsworth

Back in January, I reported the city of Lakewood was considering a proposal to build a gas station on the empty lot at 150 S. Wadsworth Blvd, and way back in 2015 I wrote about a plan to build a short term nursing facility at 100 S. Wadsworth.

None of these proposal panned out, and the property appears to be back up for sale. Recently, however, a proposal has appeared on the city of Lakewood's planning cases page to subdivide the property into five pad sites.

I don't have any more details than this, but this sounds like a less than optimal idea-- I would much rather see one or two large buildings on this site that could hide parking behind them, and which would shield the Villas neighborhood behind them from Wadsworth traffic. Five pad sites would mean a higher ratio of parking to building, and a much more suburban (as opposed to downtown) feel.

Approval Still Pending for Retail Center at 280 S Yarrow St

The city of Lakewood is still considering a proposal by Suppa Properties to build a retail center at 280 S. Yarrow Street, between the existing Olive Garden and the recently completed Village at Belmar senior center. The latest plans call for a two story structure with room for multiple retail or restaurant tenants, and include a second floor, rooftop patio. Construction is expected to start in 2019, but the plans are still waiting for final approval by the city's planning commission.

I personally like the way parking is tucked behind the building in this proposal, as well the presence of a second story-- and especially the second floor patio-- which helps it avoid looking like a typical suburban strip-mall. 

Proposal Submitted for 5 Story Senior Living Center in Central Belmar

Starwood and The Wolff Company have submitted plans with the city of Lakewood to build a 172 unit, five story senior living center on the vacant lot at 7221 W. Virginia Ave. This property, located between Belmar Square and the Residences at Belmar Plaza in central Belmar, is currently being used as a temporary parking lot.

The retirement center would be part of the Wolff Company's Revel brand, which specializes in upscale senior living. Revel locations elsewhere in the country have extensive fitness centers, pools, and fine dining. This would be the fourth seniors-only development in the downtown Lakewood area.

Beyond that, I don't have any details, and I haven't been able to come across any architectural renderings. It's common for the Lakewood Planning Commission to require extensive changes and multiple submissions before building plans are approved, especially in the downtown area.

How Downtown Lakewood Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election

The New York Times has put together a fascinating map of the 2016 presidential election. This extremely detailed map allows anyone to drill down to the precinct level to see how their neighborhood voted.

As it turns out, downtown Lakewood was Clinton territory, and by a large margin.

Downtown Lakewood can be divided into four quadrants, using the intersection of Alameda and Wadsworth as the x and y axis. So there's a northeast quadrant (O'Kane Park), northwest quadrant (South Lakewood/Meadowlark), southeast quadrant (Belmar) and southwest quadrant (Belmar Park).

Belmar (the southeast quadrant) voted the most heavily for Clinton, with Hilary receiving 61% of the vote to Donald Trump's 27%. O'Kane Park (northeast) voted for Clinton 58% to 33%. South Lakewood/Meadowlark went for Clinton 57% to 35%, and Belmar Park voted for Clinton 56% to 35%.

The only area of downtown Lakewood that was evenly divided was a precinct surrounding Colorado Christian University. This small precinct sits in the northwest quadrant but is separate from the rest of the South Lakewood area. It voted for Clinton by only 45% to Trump's 44%.

In an a blog post from 2015, I described downtown Lakewood as a Democratic bastion within a more evenly divided city. This data from the New York Times confirms this and paints and even stronger picture of downtown Lakewood as a place where your neighbors are likely to be either Democrats or unaffiliated voters who vote Democratic in elections.

Yes, Belmar Plaza is Looking Rough Around the Edges. It's Time for a Remodel.

It's been 14 year since the Villa Italia mall was redeveloped into the mixed use, new urbanist Belmar. In that time, the retail portion of Belmar has seen several owners-- first Continuum, then the Southern Ute tribe, and now Starwood Capital. Other parts of the development are owned by various HOAs, and still others by the Plaza Metropolitan District, a Business Improvement District.

I don't know which of these entities is responsible for the upkeep of Belmar's main plaza, but after 14 years, it's clear that the area needs more than daily cleaning. It's time for some serious maintenance, and probably a remodel.

Belmar's dry and broken fountain.

Let's start with the the main fountain, which hasn't been turned on in years. At one time, there was a large round stone ball that turned as water flowed round it, but it cracked and was later removed. The shallow step design of the fountain encouraged children to play on it, which led to the installation of a  "Warning: No Entry" sign. Compare this with Founders Fountain, the water feature in Stapleton's main plaza. Designed with a wading feature that was meant for children, it was installed in 2003 and is still up and running today. In contrast, Belmar's defunct fountain has become an unwelcoming eyesore.

Next up are the paving stones. They give the plaza it's old world charm, but the stones along Bonfils Lane (i.e. the south side of the plaza that runs between the movie theater and the steps leading up to Whole Foods) have shifted and buckled. In some areas the stones have become a tripping hazard. The ground in this area needs to be re-graded and the stones relaid so that they are flat.

Buckled paving stones on the south side of Belmar Plaza.

Finally, there's the dead tree on the plaza that should have been removed and replanted but which was instead turned into a grotesque sculpture of happy bears, birds, and rabbits. Clearly someone thought this was a good idea, but let me make it absolutely clear: it wasn't. It was a terrible idea. Carvings of happy woodland animals belong in tourist trap towns in the mountains, or the yards of ramshackle homes with lace curtains, uncut grass, and a jeep or two up on blocks in the driveway. Belmar's aesthetic is modern, not rustic. Yes, whoever had the horrible idea to carve up this tree should feel deep, deep shame.

Of course, maybe deep shame is your aesthetic. If so, let me make a different argument, one from a design standpoint. The trees that line the south end of the plaza are there to mark a through-zone (the aforementioned Bonfils Lane) that connects the east and west sides of Belmar. The uniformity of these trees creates this through-zone. In other words, it's important to the function of the plaza that there be a row of trees along its south side. By turning one of these trees into a kitsch piece of mountain-art, the entire design of the plaza has been thrown off-kilter. 

Art? No, this is the mutilated
corpse of an innocent tree. 

So we come back to the fact that's it unclear who's making decisions about the Belmar Plaza. Clearly it's not someone with any professional expertise in design. It's probably someone who's just muddling along on a limited budget, and who doesn't have any clear sense that one of Belmar's most important spaces is falling apart. 

Belmar's main plaza needs the attention of a landscape architect, and it needs it now. Unfortunately, I don't even know who's responsible for keeping up the plaza area, or if that entity even cares that things are starting to fall apart.

Improvements Coming to Alameda Between S. Carr and S. Benton

Construction has started on the stretch of Alameda that passes through downtown Lakewood, and the plans call for extensive upgrades to the streetscaping of the area.

Alameda between S. Carr and S. Benton will receive landscaped medians, new sidewalks, trees and other landscaping (along with an irrigation system), new street lighting, and flagstone place markers. The goal is to create a "front door" to downtown Lakewood.

Attention will also be paid to Teller St, which will receive a new traffic signal, an upgraded cross walk, and a sidewalk on the west side of the street to improve access to O'Kane Park and Rose Stein Elementary.

Belmar Medical Plaza Planned for 7955 W. Alameda Ave

Centum Health Properties plans to build a three story medical center on the vacant lot at 7955 W. Alameda Ave. This is the undeveloped space at the corner of Alameda and S. Allison Parkway, next to the recently completed Village at Belmar senior living development.

The building's height will help with the creation of a classic urban street wall along that stretch of Alameda. Having a continuous street wall helps to define the Alameda and Wadsworth intersection as a downtown, mixed-use area. At the same time, street walls cut down on the number of hazardous driveways faced by pedestrians who are moving through an urban area. Two story quadplexes at the Village at Belmar behind this new building will then act as step downs to the single story ranch homes found in the neighborhoods north of Alameda.

To me, all of this is a sign that Lakewood's revamped zoning code is working as intended. We're seeing development channeled to our new urban core and our existing neighborhoods protected.

At the same time, some people have asked me why we're seeing so much health care related development. My answer is that Colorado is a graying state, and health care is going to be a growth industry for quite some time. The buildings that are going up in downtown Lakewood, however, are quality, well-designed buildings. Many of them will be a part of our city for a long time, and their design and use of quality materials makes it likely these buildings will be used for different purposes 25 or 50 years from now. That's smart and sustainable.

Kum & Go Gas Station and Convenience Store Proposed for 150 S. Wadsworth Blvd.

The City of Lakewood is reviewing plans for a 6,000+ square foot gas station and convenience store at 150 S. Wadsworth. This site is an undeveloped property just north of the downtown Lakewood Swedish Medical Center and ER, and just south of the planned (but not yet built) nursing facility at 100 S. Wadsworth. The planned gas station will back up to The Villas, an adult living community of 145 townhomes.

In the past, the city has worked with residents of The Villas to ensure that both the Swedish Medical Center and the downtown Lakewood Walgreens would have buffer zones between the planned developments and the homes of Villa's residents that backed up to the Wadsworth corridor. I'm guessing the city will require a buffer in this case as well, but I haven't heard any details yet.

I also don't have any details yet on the site plan for the downtown Lakewood Kum & Go, but I do know that the company has been rolling out new, larger stores that feature outdoor patios, a food focused layout, and craft beer stations that can fill growlers to go.

In Photos: Belmar Chuy's Construction Site