Claire Lavezzorio is a reporter at KMGH Denver7 in Denver, Colorado.
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — In a special election Tuesday, Lakewood residents cast their vote to either keep or repeal new zoning laws that allow for denser housing in the city. In an 8 p.m. update with preliminary results, it appears Lakewood voters have decided to repeal the city's zoning code that Lakewood City Council approved in October 2025 to address affordable housing.
Lakewood is one of many communities across Colorado that updated its zoning rules to comply with a new state law requiring communities to increase housing density to create more affordable housing.The preliminary results are a win for Karen Gordey with the Lakewood Citizens Alliance, who was worried about the city becoming too densely populated. 'We already have a lot of traffic in Lakewood, and you add the density without adding the additional infrastructure — can we support that?' Gordey said.Gordey said the results send a clear message to the city council.'We really want to have a longer conversation about the future growth in Lakewood,' Gordey said.On the other side of the ballot, Sophia Mayott-Guerrero with Make Lakewood Livable is frustrated by the election results. She was hoping to bring more living options to the city. 'It's not about creating apartment complexes in a cul-de-sac,' Mayott-Guerrero said. 'It is about allowing for options in housing because the types of families and households that exist today are different than they were 50 years ago.'The special election on Tuesday was prompted by opponents of the zoning changes like Gordey, who say the new zoning allows more multi-family housing in areas previously zoned for single-family homes.Voters answered the following four questions on the ballot:Question One: Shall the City of Lakewood repeal Ordinance 2025-27, an ordinance amending the Lakewood Zoning Code by repealing and replacing Articles 6-14 of Title 17 of the Lakewood Municipal Code, including provisions concerning residential building and site design standards; institutional, mixed use, commercial, and light industrial building and site design standards; parking and loading standards; sign standards; wireless services and communications; historic preservation; nonconformities; sustainable development; and definitions and interpretations?Question Two: Shall the City of Lakewood repeal Ordinance 2025-28, an ordinance amending the Lakewood Zoning Code by repealing and replacing Articles 1, 2, 4 and 5 of Title 17 of the Lakewood Municipal Code, including provisions concerning the purpose and administration of the Zoning Code; procedures and appeals; use and supplemental standards; and dimensional and development standards?Question Three: Shall the City of Lakewood repeal Ordinance 2025-29, an ordinance amending the Lakewood Zoning Code by repealing and replacing Article 3 of title 17 of the Lakewood Municipal Code, including provisions concerning the establishment of zone districts?Question Four: Shall the City of Lakewood repeal Ordinance 2025-30, an ordinance amending the Lakewood Zoning Code by repealing the existing zoning map, replacing it with the new zoning map, and rezoning properties thereby?UNOFFICIAL RESULTS Question 113,843 YES , 7,437 NO Question 213,765 YES , 7,537 NO Question 313,810 YES ,7,470 NO Question 413,781 YES , 7,488 NO NOTE: Official election results will be posted no later than April 17, 2026.This is a topic that Denver7 reporters have monitored since the beginning. Back in September 2025, we heard from Lakewood is for Everyone, a nonprofit concerned about the density this would create. They told Denver7 that the inclusion of multi-family options would still drastically change the look and feel of neighborhoods.' always likes to frame it positively for the residents, but when it comes down to the practical implication of how this is going to work: your neighbor, if they sell their property, a developer can come in, clear-cut all the mature trees, put in a duplex, quad-plex, six-plex apartment,' said Regina Hopkins, a community organizer with the nonprofit.We also heard from Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom, who provided the below statement in September:'The proposed changes keep the ability to build single-family housing in the future, and the updates change nothing with a current homeowner’s ability to live in their current single-family home, sell it, or pass it on. It protects their property rights. These zoning changes also protect Lakewood neighborhoods from potential impacts from new state laws by ensuring housing built in the coming years is consistent in scale to the surrounding homes rather than becoming mega-sized homes with dozens of people living in them, which state law would allow.We are also encouraging more housing options to be built such as duplexes and townhomes that will be more affordable for first-time homebuyers. It’s important to understand that the city’s current zone districts for neighborhoods with single-family homes already allow accessory dwelling units, duplexes and more, and several neighborhoods already have them.'Lakewood City Council Member Roger Low told Denver7 that depending on what voters choose during the special election, it could take the city out of compliance with that new state law.The City of Littleton faced a similar situation last summer. In our report below about their election on this topic, Denver7 spoke with the author of the amendment who says it aims to protect the small town feel of Littleton, while city staff said there may be conflicts with state law.The City of Lakewood provided this FAQ page about the new zoning laws at this link. Denver7 also spoke with Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, who is part of Make Lakewood Livable, which supports keeping the new zoning changes.'We have gotten into a mess of housing being really out of reach for people,' said Mayott-Guerrero.Karen Gordey, with Lakewood Citizens Alliance, opposes the zoning change. 'There are some that are saying, ‘Yes, this will solve the missing middle and the affordability crisis.’ However, there is nothing in the zoning that requires affordability,' Gordey said. 'We don't know that we have the infrastructure to support this.”
Lakewood Special Election April 7 Lakewood Special Election Information Lakewood Special Election Latest Lakewood Special Election New Zoning Law Lakewood Special Election Results Lakewood Special Election Results April 7 Lakewood Special Election Updates Lakewood Special Election Zones Lakewood Special Election Zoning
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
3 Unexpected Color Trends Winning Me OverNikki Ogunnaike is the Editor in Chief of Marie Claire US. She has previously held roles at Harper's Bazaar, GQ, ELLE, Glamour, InStyle, and Vanity Fair. She authors the popular Marie Claire newsletter Self Checkout. You may also recognize Nikki from her time as the host of Snapchat’s Online, IRL and IGTV's The Run Through.
Read more »
Prosecutors say Tyler Robinson has plenty of evidence for a May preliminary hearingPat Reavy interned with KSL in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL or Deseret News since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
Read more »
'Age of Attraction' Season 2: Everything We KnowQuinci LeGardye is a Culture Writer at Marie Claire. She currently lives in her hometown of Los Angeles after periods living in NYC and Albuquerque, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. In 2021, she joined Marie Claire as a contributor, becoming a full-time writer for the brand in 2024.
Read more »
Claire Johnson Becomes Third Husker to Enter Transfer PortalNebraska women's basketball has now lost a third player to the transfer portal this offseason, as the sophomore guard is reportedly entering the portal after one season in Lincoln.
Read more »
Lakewood voters decide on keeping new zoning laws for denser housing in a special electionAllie Jennerjahn joined the Denver7 news team in March 2024 as a morning reporter. She was born and raised in Hartford City, Indiana.
Read more »
Color-Changing Lipstick Is Like Magic in a Bottle—These Are My Go-TosHannah Baxter is the Beauty Director at Marie Claire. She has previously held roles at The Zoe Report, Coveteur, and Bust Magazine, covering beauty, wellness, fashion, and lifestyle. She authors the Marie Claire newsletter Face Forward.
Read more »