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Residents urge council to remove Chambers Creek bridge from 6-year TIP, citing environmental and neighborhood harms
Summary
Dozens of Lakewood residents urged the City Council during a lengthy public hearing to remove or substantially revise a proposed 75th Street bridge and road extension across Chambers Creek from the draft 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program, citing threat to salmon habitat, loss of mature trees and harm to property values. The hearing record will remain open until the council considers the TIP on June 1.
Dozens of residents filled council chambers and joined online to oppose a proposed 75th Street extension and bridge across Chambers Creek, telling the City Council the environmental and neighborhood costs outweigh any traffic benefit.
The hearing focused on a single project in the draft 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): a new bridge, roadway connection, sidewalks, lighting, drainage and roundabout that would cross Chambers Creek and affect the Oak Brook and Turquoise Drive neighborhoods. "I urge you to reconsider this project to protect our environment, our wildlife, and the quality of life for your Lakewood residents," Amanda Mackey said, citing concerns about water pollution, erosion and loss of habitat.
Why it matters: The TIP is the city’s planning-level list of transportation projects; staff noted the program outlines roughly $157 million of proposed improvements but only about 10% of projects are currently funded. Testimony opposing the 75th Street project argued it would cut through established neighborhoods, require removal of mature Gary oaks and damage a salmon-bearing creek undergoing restoration. "This would fundamentally change the beauty and character of our neighborhood," Amy Ulrich told the council.
Council and staff context: Planning staff explained the TIP is required by state law and is amendable; the item is tentatively scheduled for council action on June 1. Staff and the mayor emphasized the council can amend or remove projects from the TIP before adoption. Troy Pokrzywinski, who introduced the hearing, said the program is a planning document and that most projects are not fully funded. "The program outlines approximately a $157,000,000 in improvements," he told the council.
What residents asked for: Speakers urged the council to remove project 2027-3 (the 75th Street extension) from the TIP or direct staff to seek alternatives such as fixing existing bridges or prioritizing sidewalk and safety improvements elsewhere. Several residents criticized the city’s public-notification practices, saying many learned of the proposal only days earlier. "I just found out about this this morning," Scott Shields said; others asked for more outreach and opportunity for focused neighborhood engagement. Christina Manetti of the Gary Oak Coalition also raised concerns about an $8,050 public-records invoice for tree-removal records and urged stronger protections for mature oaks.
Next steps: The mayor closed the hearing after public testimony and reminded residents the council may amend the draft at the June 1 meeting; residents were invited to return and speak again. The City Council did not vote on the TIP at this meeting.
The council left the item open for amendment; a vote on the TIP is tentatively scheduled for June 1.
