Lakewood council adopts overhaul of zoning 'Article 3' after months of debate; key director discretion language trimmed

Lakewood City Council on Sept. 22 adopted an update to Article 3 of the Lakewood Zoning Code, a contentious rewrite that replaces the city’s previous rules for residential and mixed‑use districts and expands by‑right housing types such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes and triplexes.

The ordinance, O2025‑29, passed on second and final reading after councilors approved two amendments that narrowed planning director discretion. Councilors removed a sentence that would have allowed the director to reduce the minimum size required to create a planned development district and deleted the words “where appropriate” from a purpose statement that would have softened a requirement to protect neighborhood scale. The deletion of the PD‑size sentence passed 10–1; the “where appropriate” deletion passed 11–0. The final ordinance passed 9–2 (Councilors Ryan and Nystrom voted no).

Supporters at the public hearing said the code will expand “missing middle” housing types, increase routes to ownership and reduce car dependency. “I’m confident that these updates will unlock the promise of homeownership for our nurses and other medical professionals, our teachers, our first responders, our young families, and our older community members who want to call Lakewood home,” said Melissa Miller Akins, a Lakewood realtor and resident.

Speakers in favor said new housing choices can put homeownership within reach of more households and encourage more walkable, transit‑oriented development. “If we want thriving communities, we need neighborhoods that can support themselves,” said Shane Sarnak, a Ward 3 resident.

Opponents urged stronger limits and clearer standards to protect neighborhood scale and environmental features. “This developer‑first system is a disservice to the community,” said Bonnie Nguyen, a resident who criticized provisions in the planned development section that she said could allow projects to bypass established standards. Several speakers asked that protections for parks and tree canopy be strengthened.

Councilors and staff repeatedly emphasized that many of the ordinance’s statements are purpose and intent language and that enforceable standards appear elsewhere in the code. City planning staff said the current code already permits much of the anticipated growth; the update is intended to regulate and direct that growth rather than simply allow it without standards.

Councilors asked staff for follow‑up work on infrastructure questions (water, sewer, sidewalks and stormwater) and for continued neighborhood engagement during the forthcoming zoning map process. The council set the next public meeting on the zoning map for Oct. 13.

Mayor Strom thanked residents and staff for months of engagement before the vote.