The Lakewood City Council on Monday, Jan. 6, adopted Ordinance 825, amending municipal code to sunset the Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board and reassign the board’s duties to the Planning and Public Works Department, the council said.

City Attorney Heidi Wachter told the council the ordinance would remove the advisory board as an independent body while preserving the city’s landmarks program and the underlying code definitions that guide historic designation and certificates of appropriateness.

Council members debated where the program should reside. Council member Brandstetter proposed — and the council approved — an amendment replacing the earlier plan to move the work to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board with language directing the Planning and Public Works Department to manage the program. Brandstetter said that change would make the operational lead and public‑hearing processes clearer and more transparent to the public.

Members of the public who spoke during the meeting urged the council to postpone the change and to consult the existing advisory board. Glenn Spieth, a Landmarks board member and a spokesman for the Lakewood Historical Society, said he learned about the proposed change only when he saw the council agenda. Christina Manetti, vice chair of the Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board, told the council, “The city staff handling of this has been arrogant and rude,” and she said staff had provided incorrect information to the council about meeting cancellations. James Dunlop, a Lakewood resident, urged the council not to eliminate a formal body that recognizes the city’s historic sites.

Council members and staff said the board had struggled to reach a full membership and that many scheduled meetings were canceled by staff for lack of agenda items or staffing. Heidi Wachter told the council the proposal was not intended to end the city’s work on landmarks but to place that work within an existing department that has regulatory expertise.

Action and next steps
- The council adopted Ordinance 825 as amended; the amendment replaced references to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board with the Planning and Public Works Department for carrying out landmarks-related tasks. The ordinance passed after the amendment vote. (Motion to adopt: Council member Brandstetter; second: Council member Bell. Amendment moved by Council member Brandstetter; seconded by Council member Laura Sella. Vote recorded as voice vote; outcome: adopted.)
- Staff will transition responsibilities for historic‑designation reviews, certificates of appropriateness, and related public hearings to Planning and Public Works. The council and staff said the city will continue to accept historic‑designation nominations and pursue partnerships that preserve significant sites.

Why it matters
The change alters who manages historic preservation tasks in Lakewood and how residents and property owners will interact with the process. Supporters of a dedicated landmarks advisory board said the council’s broader historic preservation work will continue, but several long‑standing volunteers urged the city to maintain some formal advisory role and to consult current board members before finalizing operational details.

Proper names and key details
- Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board (LHAB)
- Planning and Public Works Department (assumed operational lead under the ordinance)
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (initially proposed as the receiving board in the ordinance text)

Ending
Council members said they expect Planning and Public Works staff to carry forward the city’s landmarks work and to coordinate closely with historical organizations in Lakewood. Several council members asked staff to follow up with the existing LHAB volunteers to preserve institutional knowledge during the transition.