Lakewood council adopts major zoning rewrite with bird‑safe, parking and nonconformity changes

The Lakewood City Council on Aug. 25 adopted a comprehensive update to the city’s zoning code covering articles 6 through 14, approving ordinance O2025‑27 as amended by an 8‑3 vote after a lengthy public hearing and more than a dozen amendments.

The rewrite changes citywide rules on design, parking, parking lot landscaping, historic preservation, tree fees and sustainability standards, and adds provisions for “slot” homes, loading and visitor parking, electric‑vehicle charging, and an updated enhanced development menu. Planning staff framed the action as part of a multi‑month process that will continue with additional sections and a companion map later this year.

City planning staff described the sections adopted Monday as the general articles that apply citywide. Travis Parker, chief of sustainability and community development, told council the changes include new bird‑safe rules near parks, minimum lot widths to limit narrow “slot‑home” configurations, a shift to square‑foot parking metrics for residential uses, and updates to landscaping and historic preservation rules. "These are general articles that cover, you know, the whole city," Parker said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Supporters said the rewrite will produce more housing types — duplexes, triplexes and cottage clusters — needed to address affordability and climate goals. Opponents cautioned that some changes give broad discretion to the planning director and could harm single‑family neighborhoods or property rights.

What council approved and how it changed during debate - Adoption: Ordinance O2025‑27 (amending title 17, articles 6–14) passed 8 yes, 3 no (Councilors LaBeure, Rhine and Nystrom voted no). The council earlier approved a separate ordinance package (articles 1, 2, 4 and 5) on first reading as part of the consent agenda, 11‑0. - Bird‑safe glass: Council approved an amendment requiring bird‑safe glass, or certified bird‑safety film or etching, on all exterior building glazing for buildings taller than 45 feet that are adjacent to a public park of one acre or larger. The requirement was added during amendments to the draft code and was discussed as a conservation measure; staff and councilors debated the scope and costs of different treatment types. - Parking and circulation: Council adopted an amendment allowing on‑street spaces immediately adjacent to a development to count toward a project’s minimum parking when the developer demonstrates those spaces "function safely without compromising sight distance, transit stops, or bikeways," with the credit documented on the site plan. The council also added a requirement that sites proposing three or more dwellings use a shared driveway unless site conditions make that infeasible; where alleys exist, alley access must be used where feasible. - Nonconforming structures: Council expanded the window for restoring structures damaged by fire or disaster. The ordinance now allows a permit to be issued within two years (not the earlier 18 months) of damage for restoration, and gives the director discretion to extend that deadline by one year in cases of hardship; the same timeline was added for accessory buildings (for example, accessory dwelling units). - Tree and landscaping: The code increases the tree replacement fee from $1,200 to $2,000 per small tree (as noted by staff), and the council added language encouraging low‑water, native and drought‑tolerant plants for parking‑lot islands. - Historic preservation, sustainability and definitions: The update pulls preservation definitions into the general definitions article, adds new sustainability and EV terms, and updates the enhanced development menu (EDM) so commonly chosen green building points become code requirements and to add new voluntary options.

Public comment and council discussion Hundreds of residents signed up to speak. Speakers were sharply divided but many urged the council to adopt changes that would create "missing middle" housing types. Joan Jacobson, a Ward 2 homeowner, told the council that large lots on her block "would be perfect for a new duplex or a new triplex or even a cottage cluster" and concluded: "The status quo is outdated, and I support an updated zoning code." Others, including some long‑time residents, urged protections for large‑lot and park‑adjacent neighborhoods, tree canopy preservation and clearer limits on administrative discretion.

Transportation and safety interplay: Mike Whitaker, the city transportation engineer, described how the newly adopted Safe Streets for All regional grant and the local traffic‑calming study will proceed on largely separate timelines; the Safe Streets consultant process is expected to run about 18 months and finish in March 2027, while the council directed staff toward a traffic‑calming study session in December and possible adoption in January.

Next steps and implementation Council split the broader rezoning work into multiple hearings: articles 1, 2, 4 and 5 will return at the council’s Sept. 8 meeting, article 3 will be considered separately, and the zoning map and district changes are scheduled for a future meeting in October. Staff said the EDM and other items will require ongoing annual updates. Several council members asked staff for further implementation details and for written guidance on how the new rules would interact with financing and construction practices, particularly for affordable housing developers.

Ending note: The zoning rewrite represents the most sweeping land‑use change the council has considered in years; while supporters argued it is necessary to add affordable housing types and reduce greenhouse‑gas impacts, some residents warned the city must balance new development with protections for existing neighborhoods and ensure the rules are enforced consistently.