Demonstration planned at Lakewood City Council over development plans near Belmar Park

A developer has temporarily halted the approval process for a controversial apartment building in Lakewood. Kairoi Residential now wants to get community input before moving forward. The pause is expected to last two months.

Belmar Park is a jewel in Lakewood. It is on public property, but very nearby, a 412-unit apartment building is being planned by a developer on privately-owned land.

Regina Hopkins is one of those who has been protesting against the development. She explained, "it is going to be a six-story high-rise with a five-story parking lot. It's going to take over the whole landscape in this area."

Fliers are being handed out to park-goers urging opposition to the development.

Anita Springsteen, a Lakewood City Council member, introduced a resolution to try to change the development approval process saying, "I believe it's our duty to step in and say 'hey, we are asking you to follow the law and to listen to the citizens of this community.'"

Sixty-nine trees have been marked with red ribbons by protesters to show how many trees on private land could be lost. One woman chained herself to one of them.

Hopkins appealed, "These are our community's crown jewels, cherished, and we don't want to see them die."

Lakewood allows developers to pay a fee instead of having to create open spaces. It also allows projects on private property to be approved without community forums. Springsteen said she feels the process needs to be changed.

"I believe that it's wrong for one person on staff, who is not even an elected official, to be able to make decisions like that for the community," she said.

The developer, Kairoi, wrote a letter to the City Council stating in part, "we should have worked to have a community discussion because of the importance of the neighboring park."

Lakewood has a residential growth limitation, but this project is exempt because it is in what is termed a reinvestment area."