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| | | What Denverites Should Know About Today’s Special Election in Lakewood | All eyes are on Lakewood today as the city’s registered voters will decide the suburb’s stance on how it will handle growth in the future. Here’s what you should know, and why this zoning decision matters to residents in the broader Denver metro — and beyond. | - The big question: Should Lakewood’s zoning laws allow for more types of multifamily housing — such as townhomes, condos, and duplexes — in more parts of the city to encourage higher density development?
- The backstory: Lakewood City Council approved four ordinances last year to do exactly that, but after a group of residents gathered enough signatures to challenge that decision, they’re asking Lakewood voters to repeal those rules in today’s special election. [CO Politics 🔒; Gazette 🔒]
- A YES vote will repeal the ordinances and revert the city to its previous zoning rules, which prioritize single-family homes in the majority of the city. (A campaign mostly supported by Lakewood resident groups, such as Lakewood for All and Lakewood Citizens Alliance.)
- A NO vote will keep the new zoning changes, which allow for multifamily housing in ALL residential neighborhoods, as well as impact parking minimums and dictate the size/design/location of multifamily buildings. (A campaign supported by Lakewood residents, Mayor Wendi Strom, Rep. Brittany Pettersen, and the ACLU.)
- The tension: As the housing affordability crisis continues to be a top concern for Coloradans, the debate has quickly become a pro-growth vs. anti-growth argument. Supporters of the zoning ordinances say they help foster housing affordability through “missing middle” sized homes. Opponents pushing to repeal the ordinances argue that they jeopardize Lakewood’s character and pave the way for overdevelopment and corporate investors. [Denverite]
- Beyond Lakewood: Gov. Jared Polis has been pushing denser development for years through a variety of land use bills that would be applied across the entire state. [CPR]
- The nitty gritty: We sat down to talk with folks on both sides of the Lakewood zoning debate recently to help us break down what’s really at stake. [City Cast Denver 🎧]
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| What Denver's Talking About |
| | 🚅 Front Range Passenger Rail Gets Its Name | Colorado has spoken — in a statewide poll that took place last month, more than 25,000 participants voted on an official name for the new train that will eventually connect Pueblo to Fort Collins. “CoCo” — short for the Colorado Connector — took 37% of the votes, beating out Colorado Ranger, Range Link, and “FRED,” (short for Front Range Express Destinations and my personal fave). Next, Colorado voters will likely be asked to consider a sales tax to help fund the multi-billion-dollar rail project on the November ballot. [Denver Post 🔒] | | | 👀 Former Mayor Plans Five Points Business | Former Denver mayor Michael Hancock wants to open a coworking space out of the 7,000-square-foot vacant office building he purchased last week at 2413 N. Washington St. in Five Points. His coworking business will take up most of the building, but he plans to lease some of the space to a coffee shop and other office users, and transform the property’s old parking lot into a garden. The $1.4 million real estate investment will be Hancock’s first. [BusinessDen 🔒] | | 🪧 Strike Ends at Greeley Meatpacking Plant | Union representatives for employees at the U.S. headquarters for JBS — the world’s largest meatpacking company — say management has agreed to resume negotiations, ending a three-week strike that began last month over workers’ demands for higher wages and safer working conditions. Thousands of employees are expected to return to work Tuesday morning, and negotiations will reopen later this week. JBS is putting forth its “Last, Best and Final” offer, a spokesperson said. [AP via CPR] | | 🦃 Are Wild Turkeys Taking Over Denver? | Gaggles of wild turkeys have been spotted wandering downtown Denver and beyond in recent weeks. What’s the deal? Wild turkeys have always been native to the state, but their sudden population spike is the long-coming result of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s aggressive reintroduction efforts in the 1980s. They’re especially active this time of year (April-May) because it’s mating season. [Westword; CO Sun] | - RIP Henrietta: Let’s not forget Denver’s O.G. wild turkey resident, Henrietta. She was a beloved fixture in Bible Park for years before dying in a tragic traffic accident last year. [9News]
- Fun turkey fact: Benjamin Franklin pushed to make the wild turkey America’s national bird instead of the bald eagle. Eagles often steal their food from other animals rather than do their own hunting. Franklin once wrote:
“I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his living honestly.”
| | 🤔 Can We Talk About That Pic of Polis and Boebert?? | Could the use of prediction markets in politics mean more voter engagement? Will the Denver Summit FC get a mascot? And really, what was Gov. Polis doing at the Rockies home opener with Rep. Lauren Boebert anyway? We open our mailbag and answer questions from City Cast Denver listeners and readers. [City Cast Denver 🎧] | | |
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