Emory Elementary, Habitat preservation, and Milestone property
Lakewood Obscures Reason for School Property Purchase
Lakewood City Council will vote to purchase the closed school, Emory Elementary on Monday, April 28, 2025. Lakewood intends to keep the soccer fields and transfer the building to the Action Center, a non-governmental organization that provides food and homeless services. That intent to transfer was included as one sentence in the staff memo for the property purchase. However, the reason why the transfer is necessary was not disclosed. Lakewood has planned for years to purchase the school as part of the city’s strategy to increase the number of homeless shelters in Lakewood. The first reading of this purchase occurred on April 14, 2025
The problem is that the building is not going to Lakewood as the end-user. Lakewood is buying the school and fields with the intention to immediately sell or transfer the building to the Action Center, for an undisclosed amount of money while keeping the soccer fields for city use.
Lakewood then intends to somehow take possession of the existing Action Center to operate a second homeless shelter, completing their navigation center concept, according to an explanation to City Council by City Manager Hodgson (see Lakewood Informer news for more details here and here).
The Action Center does not have to go through the public bid process, and surrounding residents have not been made aware of the end goal that will have this service center in the middle of their neighborhood. Also of concern is that Lakewood will sell or exchange this building at a loss, since they argued that the school board should do just that – Lakewood argued Jeffco should give Emory Elementary to the city at a loss as a public service for the homeless initiative.
Jeffco is not honoring its public process to first subdivide the property and then publicly go through the full disposition disclosure process for the non-city property. The subdivision and separate property sale precedent was set for Vivian Elementary, another closed school located in Lakewood, the purchase of which will also be approved April 28, 2025.
Envision Lakewood 2040 Plan Needs Specific Goals to Preserve Habitats and Species
By Eve S, also posted on LakewoodSpeaks
Many residents chose to live in Lakewood because we appreciate the native wildlife and plants that we have found in this area. The Envision Lakewood 2040 plan emphasizes “Sustainability” without seriously considering our natural environment. It does not present a plan to preserve habitats for our native species and for the species that rely on our resources when they are migrating. I believe that “Sustainability” should include a written emphasis – a promise – to prioritize wildlife conservation for us and for future generations. If we lose pollinators, birds and mammals that have sought refuge in the remaining pockets of natural habitat, we have not created a sustainable city.
The outcry over the construction of a large apartment building next to Kountze Lake at Belmar Park points out the need for more protection of our wildlife. A few concessions have been made. The City’s website statement says that the “park, however, doesn’t have any official designation as a bird sanctuary.” Vision 2040 omits any plans to designate ecologically important, but vulnerable areas, as “Preserves”, “refuges” or “sanctuaries”. Some land should be set aside, or zoned, as “Natural Areas”, to remain as they are. These areas will be distinct from “parks” that are stripped of trees, and then are paved over for playgrounds. If we do not zone for Preserves now, the land and habitats will be gone forever.
It is notable that the City predicts the developer will replace the 69 large trees at 777 S. Yarrow St. with lots of small, new trees, or they will pay a fee in lieu. We all know that replacing older trees with new trees does not preserve the habitat needed by many animals from insects to birds to mammals. Removing all the undergrowth, shrubs and bushes sterilizes the land. Lawns are not good substitutes for natural flora.
The City will accept a small buffer next to the Kaori development. However, we should require professional environmental studies, especially water and air quality studies, to determine the size and placement of buffers which adjoin designated Preserves. Vision 2040 should require environmental impact analyses. Modern developments create a great deal of pollution, including toxic construction waste, trash, pet waste, light, noise and automobile pollution. Pesticides, herbicides and insecticides are applied to the soil and air and, unless restricted, will spread with through the air and through run-off to nearby ponds and creeks.
Rezoning affects Milestone Property
By Russha Knauer, Cross-post with permission from nextdoor.com,
The upcoming Rezoning Ordinance meeting is being held on Wednesday evening at 7pm at 480 S Allison Pkwy. This meeting will cover several rezoning issues. If you live in the area of Kipling and Alameda or Alameda and Garrison, this meeting will be especially important for you to submit public comments or attend and make your voices heard. Find information about the meeting and how to submit public comment here: https://lakewoodspeaks.org/items/4256.
Specifically, the zoning ordinance updates will allow for the land along Alameda and Kipling informally known as the Milestone Property to be rezoned to allow for high-density, mixed use urban development. That means that high-rise, high-density development up to 96′ can be developed. This will go against the current zoning and surrounding development of the area.
There are several things that are important to know about this rezoning proposal. First, the rezoning proposal was included in the non-residential zoning map, so many people are unaware that this could happen and how it could directly affect them. Second, this is one of two properties slated for rezoning in this manner; the second is already developed and the rezoning ensures the current development is allowable within zoning regulations. Third, the city stated that the Milestone property is one of 10 “difficult to develop within current zoning regulations” pieces of property. To be clear, this land is currently zoned to be developed as single family homes with mixed commercial use on the corner of Alameda and Kipling. However, the developers have fought the neighborhood for two decades to rezone the property to allow for high-density development. The only thing difficult about developing this land is the developers, not the zoning. Fourth, the city planning department recently told the Planning Commission in a meeting on 4/9 that the implementation of “Envision 2040” is the “city’s”, meaning there is no duty for the City to engage neighborhoods when development or re-development is proposed. Further, the city’s planning department stated in a presentation on 4/18 that going forward, developers will be the ones who have the option to engage neighborhoods when development is proposed, further abdicating the City of their role in engaging neighborhoods. Finally, the City has made this information difficult to understand and find when it comes to identifying nuanced information and how it will affect specific areas and neighborhoods.
Please come and make your voices heard! Make sure the City knows that developers should not be valued more than tax-paying residents; that the City has a duty to engage neighborhoods when development is proposed; and that rezoning should not be allowable in plans that are difficult to understand and provide no clear forewarning to affected areas.
Crisp & Green Sponsor Colfax Marathon
From Crisp & Green
CRISP & GREEN are thrilled to be the Featured Vegetarian Sponsor at this year’s Denver Colfax Marathon on May 18th.
We’ll be serving up our signature fresh, healthy salads to over 4,000 runners post-race, and that’s just the beginning. Visitors to our booth can also:
Receive a free smoothie reward by downloading our app
Support a great cause: Girls on the Run – Rockies!
We’re collecting donations on-site to help fund a transformative 10-week running program for girls in grades 3–8. 100% of proceeds will go directly to this inspiring initiative.
Want to support early? Donations can be made here: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/8vtnef
This is a high-energy, feel-good story highlighting local business, community wellness, youth empowerment, and giving back
