Another round in Lakewood’s long-running fight about growth and development is kicking off.
The suburb’s voters will decide in a special election whether to send the city back to its old development rules, making it harder to build townhomes, condos and duplexes across the city.
The decision will be on the ballot April 7.
City officials last year approved a new zoning map and code, allowing somewhat denser residential development across much of the city. But residents gathered over 3,000 signatures to challenge the change.
The council passed four ordinances last year that work in tandem to allow the development of different types of housing. They also limit the size of new homes to 5,000 square feet, as well as push for unoccupied commercial buildings to be converted into housing. All four went into effect Jan. 1.
In order to challenge the laws, opponents had to collect petition signatures from 3 percent of all registered Lakewood residents within 45 days.They were successful and filed their signatures Dec. 5.
Housing development has been a hot topic for the city for years, with residents voting in a special election in 2019 to put a yearly cap on housing construction. It won with 53 percent of the votes.
In 2023, the council voted 8-3 to put an expiration date on the city’s new growth law, setting it to disappear in two years. The change was meant to put the city in compliance with state law, but it left Lakewood questioning how to manage growth and development.
The zoning code and map reform that the council approved to take effect in 2026 was made up of 400 pages and split into four votes throughout October, with each passing.
