A tree’s red ribbon indicates it is poised to be removed as part of an apartment building project at 777 S. Yarrow St. on a lot next to Belmar Park in Lakewood. Lakewood City Council spent nearly four hours Monday night listening to members of the public and then debating what, if anything, to do about a proposed apartment complex adjacent to a city park.“This is a do-nothing council … this council is horrible,” Councilman Rich Olver said at one point.
The project would require demolition of the current building and the removal of 69 trees — and the latter has prompted organized resistance to the project. But, Springsteen told BusinessDen it was shot down because she needed to jump through “the proper hoops … which they always make up when it’s somebody making a motion they don’t like.”
Some called on Lakewood to buy the land from Kairoi and dedicate it as open space, while others said the community should sue the city for approving the plans. “We’re all on the same side,” Mayor Adam Paul said at one point, prompting an audience member to shout “No, we’re not.” “I find that sometimes developers will do what they can, as long as they hear from the community,” Vincent said.