Lakewood Planning Commission Meeting - February 5, 2026
Lakewood Planning Commission Meeting - February 5, 2026
The Lakewood Planning Commission met on February 5, 2026, to review meeting minutes, consider a deferral for a Marlowe Avenue application, discuss a proposed ordinance amendment regarding pet grooming services, and receive a communication on a safety analysis for the Madison Avenue and Hilliard Road intersection. All items were handled with votes or recommendations.
Consent Calendar
- Meeting Minutes Approval (January 6, 2026): The minutes from the January 6, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously with one abstention (Commissioner Reese).
Discussion Items
- Docket 02-02-26 – Marlowe Avenue: The applicant requested a deferral to the March 2026 meeting. The Commission voted to defer (all in favor, one abstention).
- Docket 02-03-26 – Conditional Use Pet Grooming Services (Ordinance Amendment): The city staff presented a proposed code amendment to treat pet grooming more like a standard retail use, allowing it in C2 and C3 districts, removing the current four off-street parking spaces per groomer requirement, and adding supplemental regulations for ventilation, odor control, and soundproofing. The amendment also distinguishes pet grooming from pet boarding. No public comment was received. Commissioner Miller requested additional definition to differentiate grooming services from boarding/kennels that may have outdoor runs and play areas. The Commission voted to return the amendment to City Council with a recommendation for approval and adoption, conditioned on adding that definition. The motion passed unanimously.
- Docket 02-04-26 – Communication from Planning and Development Staff regarding Madison Avenue and Hilliard Road Safety Analysis: John Albuck, a traffic engineer, presented the findings of the safety study. The analysis covered crash data (including a fatality and injury crashes), traffic operations, and recommendations. Short-term recommendations included protected-only left turns (eastbound and westbound on Madison), leading pedestrian intervals (LPI), accessible pedestrian signals (APS), signal timing optimization, and converting Orchard Grove to right-in/right-out. Long-term recommendations included bulb-outs and automated pedestrian detection. Commissioners discussed concerns about bicycle turning movements, transit operations, and the potential closure of Carabel Avenue. The chair summarized three recommendations to forward to City Council: (1) preserve long-term evaluation of closing Carabel Avenue to reduce intersection geometry, (2) additional analysis of bike signaling, and (3) consideration of transit movements. No formal vote was taken on the recommendations.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes Approved: January 6, 2026 minutes approved with one abstention.
- Deferral Granted: Docket 02-02-26 (Marlowe Avenue) deferred to March 2026.
- Pet Grooming Ordinance Amendment: Recommended to City Council for approval and adoption with a condition to further define the distinction between grooming and boarding/kennel uses. Motion passed unanimously.
- Safety Analysis: The Commission discussed the Madison Avenue/Hilliard Road safety study and provided three recommendations to City Council (closure evaluation, bike signaling, transit movements). No formal vote was recorded; the recommendations will be forwarded for consideration.
Meeting Transcript
Ms. Gull? Here. Mr. LePoint. Here. Mr. Miller. Here. Mr. Reese. Here. And Mr. Sanderson. Here. All right. All right. First item on the agenda is to review and approve or review and comments on the meeting minutes from the January 6, 2026 meeting. I will open it up to the Commissioners for any comments, adjustments. Anything everybody's had a chance to look through those. Hearing none, I will make a motion for approval. Second. All those in favor of approval signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay, motion. One abstention, Mr. Reese. Motion carries. All right. I will turn it over now to the city for opening remarks. Good evening and welcome to the Lakewood Planning Commission. The Commission is comprised of five members charged with evaluating proposals as required by Lakewood Zoning Code and Community Vision. The Charter of the City has established the authority of the Commission and its members are volunteer Lakewood residents appointed to five-year terms by the mayor or city council. Tonight, the Commission shall hear from each applicant on their respective docket item. The Commission may also take public comment for each item. The comment shall only address that specific docket item being considered. To allow adequate time for all present, public comment is limited to five minutes per person. The timer in the front of the auditorium is provided to help you stay within the enlightened time. While you are welcome to state your agreement with prior comment that has been made, please make an effort to provide new comments that you find relevant to the Commission. You may also submit statements in writing to the Secretary to have them included as a matter of public record. For both applicants and members of the public making making comment, when you are called to the podium, we ask that you please sign the O sheet and then state your name and address into the microphone for the record prior to addressing the Commission. Thank you, Mr. Chair. All right. Thank you, Mr. Boss. With that, we will open it up to new business on the agenda tonight. First item is docket number 02-02-26 Marlowe Avenue.
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