Lakewood council weighs changes to parkland-dedication rules after citizen initiative and litigation

Lakewood City Council on Feb. 3 reviewed a staff‑draft ordinance to revise parkland and open‑space dedication rules after a citizen‑led ballot initiative became city law late last year and prompted litigation and permit delays.

Mayor Wendy Strom opened the workshop by summarizing why the council held the session: a citizen‑initiated ordinance adopted on Nov. 4 took effect Dec. 7, and "no residential building permits have been issued since December 7, the date that that ordinance went into place," she said, adding that the city is "also now currently under active litigation." The council scheduled a second reading with a public hearing for Feb. 10 and said it plans a third reading on Feb. 24.

The workshop focused on the staff draft of amendments to Lakewood Municipal Code 14.16, a proposal the council agreed to use as the basis for revisions. The staff draft incorporates recommendations from a 2023 consultant study (the Norris report) and makes three notable changes discussed at length by councilors: (1) clearer definitions that allow some privately maintained but publicly accessible spaces to count toward dedication, (2) updated fee‑in‑lieu valuation and review processes, and (3) explicit pathways and possible exemptions for developments that include affordable housing.

Why it matters: councilors said they want to preserve residents' interest in adding green space while removing legal and administrative obstacles that the November ordinance introduced. Councilors described urgent operational problems for developers and homeowners, and staff described permit and redesign burdens that have followed the ordinance's effective date.

Key discussion points

Private but publicly accessible open space: The draft allows portions of required dedication to remain in private ownership if they are "open to the public" and are three acres or less. Councilors praised the idea of on‑site plazas, community gardens and play areas as ways to deliver green space inside dense development. Councilor Lowe called that a "core beating heart" of the draft because it creates more flexible public uses inside private developments.

How fee‑in‑lieu funds are used: Ross Williams, a city planning/parks staff member, described the…