Lakewood committee substitutes front-yard plantings ordinance after public input; measure remains in committee

The Lakewood Housing Planning Development Committee met Sept. 8 and discussed Ordinance 18 20 25, a proposed amendment that would create an affirmative allowance for managed natural front-yard plantings while keeping safety-related limits on height and sight lines. The committee approved a substituted version of the draft but left the ordinance in committee for additional review and public education.

The ordinance as introduced sought to permit naturally managed landscapes in front-yard setback areas while retaining code authority for the building department to cite unsafe conditions. Committee members and city staff described changes circulated before the meeting that narrow several of the originally proposed setbacks and clarify how existing code provisions about sight lines and obstruction would be applied.

Chair (unnamed) said the intent was not to pass the ordinance that evening but to solicit more public comment and allow the administration and stakeholders to refine the language. "No. No. It's not my intention to pass this this evening. This is simply for discussion purposes," the chair said.

Under the version proposed at the meeting, setbacks in many typical locations were narrowed compared with the administration's earlier draft. The administration initially proposed a 4-foot setback from the right-of-way and a 4-foot setback from property lines, with a 2-foot setback from driveways. The substituted draft reduced side-yard setbacks to 2 feet and retained 2 feet along driveways as a practical width for ordinary lawn-mowing equipment…