The referenced flexible housing options will be allowed in three of the Low-form Residential Zone Districts: R-L-A, R-L-B and R-L-C.  

Residential neighborhoods located within one of the new low-form residential zone districts would have this flexibility through the zoning code; however, please be aware that other private covenants/restrictions may be in place that might be more restrictive than the zoning regulations enforced by the city.

The term “English Basement” is not one that the planning staff is familiar with. If you would like to explore a specific improvement to your property, please reach out to the Planner of the Day at POD@lakewoodco.gov to discuss any zoning related questions.

-- The Project Team

Thank you for providing this feedback. Each property is unique when it comes to the size of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) that can be accommodated on a existing lot. While the maximum size of a detached ADU is capped at 1,400 square feet, some properties may not be able to accommodate an ADU at the maximum size that is permitted by the zoning ordinance. There are additional dimensional standards found in Section 17.5.5.1 of the zoning ordinance that apply to all detached accessory structures including ADU’s. At a minimum, the allowable size for a new accessory dwelling on your property will be informed by the following items:

• Gross floor area (GFA) of the existing (or proposed) primary structure
• Area of all combined accessory structures (including the proposed ADU)
• Minimum required open space
• Size/configuration of an individual lot 
• Combined area of the side and rear yards

Lakewood’s Development Review planning team is available to discuss options that may help you to maximize the allowable size of the ADU within the adopted supplemental and dimensional standards that apply. 

If you would like to explore other possible options to add a second unit on your property,  please contact Laura McKibbin via email at laura.mckibbin@lakewoodco.gov or 303-987-7946.  

Nancy -- Here is information regarding your question.

The short answer to this question is no, you could not have a primary structure that included two dwelling units above the 4,000 gross floor area (GFA) size cap.  A primary structure that exceeds 4,000 GFA (with a max of two units) or 5,000 GFA (with three or more units) is not permitted in the R-L-B zone district. 

In addition to the primary structure size limits, each R-L lot would still need to respect minimum setbacks and provide the minimum percentage of open space required in the zone district. The primary structure would also be limited to a maximum height of 35 feet. So, depending on the lot size, it may not be possible to construct a 4,000 or 5,000 GFA structure on every lot in the Applewood neighborhood.   

The following information provides a bit more detail of how primary structure size caps would work:

In the R-L-B zone district, there is a maximum primary structure size, which is not to be confused or interchanged with the gross floor area (GFA) of individual units within the primary structure.   

• For R-L-B lots with one primary structure, the total structure size is limited to 4,000 GFA for a primary structure that has 1-2 dwelling units within it. This means that the combined size of both units within the primary structure cannot exceed 4,000 GFA.  Only one primary structure at 4,000 GFA would be allowed on a single R-L-B lot. 
• For R-L-B lots that have one primary structure with 3 or more units, the cap or maximum structure size is 5,000 square feet.  A Special Use Permit (approved by the Planning Commission) would be required for a primary structure of 5,000 square feet that included more than three dwelling units. The combined size of all three (or more) units within the one primary structure could not exceed 5,000 GFA.

-- The Project Team

Thanks for your interest in this project. We launched this project page on Feb. 14, 2025, and we connected with the community most directly by providing information through front page articles in Looking@Lakewood, the city's printed newsletter mailed to all addresses in the city, which means all households received this in their mail:

• March edition: Help envision Lakewood's future
• May edition: Participate in Zoning Updates discussion, which outlines the proposed changes.

Please also review this snapshot of all the ways residents were contacted and involved in shaping this process:

Kind regards,

The Project Team

Thanks for your interest in this project. Any individual or group of property owners can always request rezoning of their own properties. For a neighborhood to request a broader rezoning, they would need to provide evidence of broad support (i.e. a petition or collection of individual requests) and meet with city planning staff about the process to rezone an area. In either case, a meeting with City Council representatives would be recommended.

Sincerely,

The Project Team

John -- Thanks for your patience as we put together this information for you.

The zoning designation on your home has already changed a number of times since 1975, and, as with those changes, the proposed updates changes nothing with your ability to live in it, sell it, or pass it on.

1. Kindly elaborate on the specific grounds from which Lakewood asserts its authority to significantly alter zoning from single-family to multi-family. 

According to the Lakewood city charter, Article 9.1(d): “For the purpose of promoting the health, safety, and general welfare of the City, the City Council shall provide for zoning regulations and restrictions within the City by ordinance.” 

2. Furthermore, has there been a substantial transformation of the neighborhood’s character that necessitates a rezoning for the public good?

The proposed changes are an effort to protect neighborhoods from the impact of new state laws. It will limit the size of new homes built in the future by making them match in size with the current homes while also addressing the need for new affordable housing.

To understand why these changes are proposed, it’s important to understand how the city’s current zoning regulations and a new state law intersect and what potential impacts could result from that if the city takes no action.

• Currently, Lakewood’s zoning regulations allow homes as large as 10,000-18,000 square feet, with up to three stories, to be built in residential areas. For context, houses most commonly found in Lakewood are about 1,200-1,500 square feet in single story, so a 10,000-18,000-square-foot house would be 8 to 14 times larger and two times taller at 35 feet high.
• A new state law, HB24-1007, prevents cities from regulating the number of people living in a house. As a result, it abolishes Lakewood’s current zoning regulation that limits to five the number of people living in a home.
• The 10,000-18,000-square-foot homes allowed under the city’s current regulations haven’t been built because there has been no demand for that size of house for one family. 
• Under the new state law, however, those massive homes could be built, and they could be occupied by dozens of residents, potentially containing numerous individually rented bedrooms within the building.
• These massive homes, with numerous residents living in them, would create significant changes in Lakewood’s neighborhoods.
• To ensure that houses in the future are comparable with the existing homes in Lakewood neighborhoods, the Zoning Updates propose to combine the current eight residential zone districts into five and then limit the size of homes within each of those districts. Additionally, homes would be limited to 35 feet in all the districts but one:
  1. Low-Form Residential (R-L-A, R-L-B & R-L-C): Home size limited to 4,000 square feet for one or two units, 5,000 square feet for three or more units.
  2. Mobile Home District: Home size for mobile homes.
  3. Mid-Form Residential: Multifamily structures allowed up to 45 feet high.
• These changes will significantly limit large multifamily buildings while also accommodating a large single-family home of 2,500 square feet or more.
• The new districts, however, would no longer limit the number of units built within the square footage because of the new state law. As a result, more duplexes, town homes and affordable options could be built to foster housing affordability.
  
  

3. Please provide a comprehensive explanation of the tangible benefits that would accrue to the public interest as a result of this rezoning.

Zoning updates aren’t about dramatic changes overnight. It’s about balancing the need to protect the existing neighborhoods while planning responsibly for the future. It protects the character of neighborhoods and also creates more housing options for our kids, parents, teachers, firefighters and police agents to be able to afford to live here.  

John -- Thanks for your interest in this project and contacting us. We are working on answering your questions, but staff has been tied up this week. We will respond to these next week.

Sincerely,

The Project Team

Thank you for your question. To clarify, Lakewood has not waived its Home Rule authority over zoning. As a Home Rule city, Lakewood continues to make its own land use and zoning decisions. That said, there are some parts of the proposed zoning code update that align with new state laws, but these changes are being considered because City Council directed staff to create a zoning ordinance that best serves Lakewood’s needs while also reflecting state requirements.

There has not been a decision to “transition” to state control. The zoning code update is a local process, with multiple opportunities for public input through hearings, study sessions, and engagement platforms like LakewoodSpeaks.org.

On your question about the lawsuit filed by other cities: Lakewood’s City Council has chosen to move forward with the zoning code update in the way it believes is most appropriate for our community. If a court ultimately determines that any portion of state law is unconstitutional, Lakewood will make any adjustments needed to ensure our code complies with the law.

 Sincerely,

The Project Team

Thanks for your interest in this project, and the updated documents with the new amendments are expected to take a couple more weeks. They will be posted as soon as they are available.

Best regards,

The Project Team

Lenore -- The updates on the zoning amendments are expected to take a few more weeks, but they will be posted as soon as they are available.

Best regard,

The Project Team

Thank you for your interest in the project. Unfortunately, the staff members with the expertise to answer this question are out of the office this week. When they return, we'll get you an answer, and please attend the April 3 open house where you could ask this question as well.

Sincerely,

The Project Team

Thanks for your patience in waiting for the experts in this to return to the office. The answer to your questions is that the draft proposed updates will maintain existing parking requirements for those properties not covered by the new state law. 

Sincerely

The Project Team