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"The ultimate goal is community sustainability," says Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy about growth and development projects for Colorado's fourth largest city. "How do we make Lakewood a place to grow, live, work, dine, recreate, shop and enjoy art and cultural activities?"
Murphy emphasizes that the city needs to keep all factors in mind. These include some 3,500 small businesses, large employers such as the Denver Federal Center for whom 6,000 people work, residents and more.
He points out several of the essential components Lakewood already has or is improving. For example, it has great parks, recreation centers and open trail systems. "Twenty-five percent of the community is parks and open space — a legacy we treasure and enhance whenever we can," he says. It has a good transportation network that, with the opening of the West Corridor light rail in 2013, is evolving into a multimodal transportation system. And the city increasingly is attracting more primary jobs.
The city also partners with small business organizations to assist their endeavors. For example, it has been working with the West Colfax Community Association (WCCA) in areas such as infrastructure challenges and creating a Transit Mixed Use (TMU) zoning district for West Corridor light rail parking structures. "We want to keep density where it is appropriate," Murphy clarifies. "We want to preserve the residential character of historic and established neighborhoods."
The city and the WCCA are also in the process of reviewing the zoning on Colfax with mixed use as the goal. "The market isn't going to support 6.6 miles of retail," Murphy says. "We need residential and office zoning."
He envisions a mixed-use district with buildings built closer to the street, sidewalk and bicycle lane connectivity, and people living and working in the corridor.
To reach the goal of community sustainability, the mayor summarizes, "We have to look at the broad perspective and ask what makes Lakewood a great place to live and work."
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Local Vacation — Escape to the Sheraton with his wife, work out in the hotel's fitness center, dine at 240 Union, breakfast at Café Bisque, shop at Belmar, and enjoy exotic tea and scones at Wystone's World Teas.
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Published in the West Chamber Resource Guide 2009 Best of Business Directory & Magazine, an annual publication of The West Chamber Serving Jefferson County.
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