Lakewood council adopts planned development zoning for Donald and Thoreau after committee review

Lakewood City Council on a special meeting voted to adopt an ordinance to amend the zoning map to allow a planned unit development at Donald and Thoreau after the Housing, Planning & Development Committee favorably referred the proposal.

The ordinance, brought to committee for further review after resident emails and follow-up meetings, was the subject of discussion about buffering, pedestrian connections to nearby Cove Park and traffic and parking impacts. The planning commission had unanimously recommended the PUD, and city staff presented traffic and parking analyses showing the development is expected to remain below local traffic-calming thresholds.

Council President Keppel said the committee had taken an extra week to review the proposal and that members had met with residents and the developer to seek improvements. "We were prepared tonight and, a lot of good collaborative work," Keppel said, thanking residents and the developer for engaging in the follow-up discussions.

Sean McDermott, chair of the Planning…