Lakewood’s identity is on the ballot this July. Upcoming anti-housing ballot measure Question 200 asks Lakewood residents in what kind of community they want to live: an expensive and exclusive community or a welcoming and livable one? Lakewood citizens can agree that inclusivity and accessibility are central to Lakewood’s identity and are values worth protecting. ?

Proponents are selling Question 200 as a simple solution to our very real growth problem, but Question 200 will increase congestion, urban sprawl, and the cost of housing as it pushes families, working people, and seniors out of Lakewood altogether. 

?Question 200 is not a solution to our growth problem, but it is a threat to Lakewood’s character. 

Supporters of the measure have concealed this threat in 4,800 words of confusing, elusive language hoping that voters will rely on the abbreviated, deceitful ballot question to make their decision. Concerned Lakewood citizens, however, owe it to themselves and to their community to rise above the deceit and wade through the nearly 5,000-word catastrophe. If they do, they’ll come to just one conclusion: 200 will hurt Lakewood, not help it. As a united Lakewood community, we must stand up to Question 200. If we want to solve our problems and strengthen our community, we must work together. 

When Boulder implemented a nearly identical anti-housing policy, housing became limited and astronomically expensive, forcing working families outside of Boulder. Urban sprawl increased, leading to Boulder’s bedroom communities like Superior, and lengthy commutes and congestion became commonplace. We don’t want the unintended consequences experienced in Boulder to happen here. Question 200 is not a solution to these problems; rather, it will ensure that they get worse. ?

Topping the list of these consequences are increased assessed valuations and higher property taxes, making it even more expensive to live in Lakewood, especially for seniors who live on a fixed income. Indeed, limited housing would make our homes more valuable – which sounds great. However, greater value means higher property taxes. This will make our homes harder to sell and more costly to live in, hitting working families and seniors particularly hard.

In 2017 the city of Lakewood reported that 21.8 of the population was over the age of 60, and 76.8% of the population had an income under $100,000. According to the Colorado Real Estate Journal, the median price of a single family home in Boulder is $837,000. In Lakewood that number is $409,000. With over a fifth of the population nearing or over retirement age and over three quarters of the population making less than an eighth of what a home costs in Boulder, it doesn’t take a mathematician to see that Lakewood cannot, just as Boulder could not, keep pace with the skyrocketing housing costs that come with anti-housing measures like Question 200.  200 means that we’ll lose our economic diversity and the cornerstones of our community as only the wealthy will be able to afford Lakewood. 

The strain of rising property taxes and home prices will become more acute as those hoping to move to Lakewood, stimulate its economy, and diversify its community find themselves needing lawyers and lobbyists to secure building permits in Lakewood. Navigating 200’s 4,800 words of procedures, rules and mandates is a tall order, but if you can manage, you’ll see that the ballot question will put builders through a complicated allocation process with no guarantees. Question 200 will redefine Lakewood by discouraging small-business owners, teachers, firefighters, and young professionals – the glue of our community – from staying in Lakewood. It will make our neighborhoods accessible to the few, not the many. 

Lakewood is comprised of citizens from all walks of life, but what unites us is our love of and dedication to our community. Our differences strengthen this community, and Question 200 threatens to destroy it.

We do not want to become a community off-limits to young families and public servants. We do not want more congestion, higher rent payments and housing costs, or a community void of the people who make Lakewood all that it is. And we do not want to force our seniors out of the community they’ve enriched for so many years. We urge you to read Question 200 in its entirety to see, just as we have, that it is the wrong solution for Lakewood. 

Brenda Bronson, a Democrat, and Kathleen Stapleton, a Republican, are longtime Lakewood residents active on local issues.