Voters asked to alter Colorado city’s zoning for more affordable housing in special election

Voters in one city near Denver can expect to start seeing ballots in the mail beginning Monday.

On April 7, voters will decide whether to keep or repeal recent rezoning changes approved by the Lakewood City Council.

A debate over those zoning changes has played out over several months and will now head to voters.

Cathy Kentner, an organizer with Lakewood for All, said she initially doubted the petition effort would succeed.

“I am very honest in saying, when I was asked my opinion, I said I didn’t think it was possible,” Kenter said.

Kentner said organizers wanted the issue returned to the community for broader input.

“By taking this back to the drawing board, we can include everybody and have a truly transparent process that respects and hears everyone’s voice,” she added.

A “yes” vote would overturn the zoning changes the council approved in the fall. A “no” vote keeps those changes in place.

Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom said the rezoning was intended to help the city meet the goals of its comprehensive plan and address a lack of housing options.

“We know that we have a lot of people who can’t afford $2,000 a month in rent for an apartment. We also know they can’t afford an $800,000 or $900,000 single‑family home. What we’ve heard over and over again from community members is, ‘can we get something in the middle, whether it be condos or townhomes?’” Strom said.

The rezoning — now paused during the special election — would limit the overall size of a home but remove restrictions on how many units can be built within that square footage. City councilmembers say the change would allow more duplexes, townhomes, and other “missing‑middle” housing options.

Kentner and other opponents disagree.

“They are going into corporate ownership or investment properties and being turned into duplexes or triplexes that are made to sound affordable. But a teacher like me can only afford to buy one home — we can’t afford to buy two or three at a time. More likely than not, this pushes working‑class people into what is often referred to as ‘permanent rentership,’” Kentner said.

Strom said the petition and resulting special election were not expected, but acknowledged that it is part of government: “It is a natural part of the governmental process to open it up and give the citizenry the ability to say, ‘wait, not so fast.’”

The rezoning issue includes several other changes detailed in four different ordinances by the Lakewood council and can be viewed in detail on the city’s website.