Lakewood Planning Commission Meeting - March 5, 2026
Lakewood Planning Commission Meeting - March 5, 2026
The Lakewood Planning Commission met on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Auditorium. The meeting included old business (minor modifications to the Marlowe Townhomes planned development) and new business (a request for an exception to garage replacement at 1445 Gridley St). Both items were discussed and voted on.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: The minutes from the February 5, 2026 meeting were approved unanimously after a correction noted that Commissioners Gall and Sanderson abstained from a motion to defer the Marlowe Townhomes item.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Marlowe Townhomes: No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
- 1445 Gridley St: No oral public comments were made, but a letter from a neighbor at 1441 Gridley Street expressing no objection to the proposal was read into the record.
Discussion Items
- Marlowe Townhomes (Docket 02-02-26): Applicant Frank Camardo (Greenlight Building Company) presented minor modifications to the approved planned development for 16 townhomes at the southeast corner of Marlowe and Madison Avenues. Proposed changes included moving units closer to the street (setbacks reduced from 12-21 feet to 7-12 feet) and increasing unit sizes to allow a third bedroom in end units. City staff confirmed the plat and overall site design remain unchanged. Commissioner Reese requested a finished floor height of at least 24 inches above sidewalk grade to maintain privacy and a masonry street screen (15-18 feet long) to block direct views of the driveway from the sidewalk. The applicant agreed to these conditions. Other topics included landscaping at the Madison frontage, trash pickup logistics, and sidewalk curb cut removal.
- 1445 Gridley St (Docket 03-05-26): Property owner Charlotte Krach requested an exception from the requirement to rebuild a single-car garage after demolishing it in 2025. She cited safety concerns due to a narrow lane used by cut-through traffic, unique lot dimensions with a bluff, and the impracticality of a garage. Proposed alternative included a gravel parking pad, a shed, rain barrels, and landscaping. City staff outlined criteria for such exceptions. Commissioner Sanderson voiced opposition, stating the code should not be changed on a case-by-case basis. Other commissioners discussed conditions including a dye test for storm/sanitary connections, removal of old garage foundation, and a six-month implementation timeline.
Key Outcomes
- Marlowe Townhomes: Motion to approve minor modifications with conditions:
- ABR review of landscaping (especially Madison frontage).
- Safety and fire review.
- Continuous sidewalk (no curb cut).
- Installation of a masonry street screen approximately 15-18 feet long from the Madison frontage building rear to screen the driveway. Motion passed unanimously.
- 1445 Gridley St: Motion to approve the exception with conditions:
- Perform a dye test and complete any required sanitary/stormwater corrections.
- Remove remnants of the old garage foundation.
- Install a new gravel parking pad with proper offset from right-of-way.
- Implement landscaping and install rain barrels.
- Complete all requirements within six months. Motion carried 4-1, with Commissioner Sanderson opposing.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening. I'd like to call the order the uh City of Lakewood Planning Commission meeting for Thursday, March 5th. Uh turn it over to the city for roll call, please. Nicholas LePoint. Present. William Sanderson. Here. Kyle Rice. Here. Anna Gall. Here. Nicholas Miller. Here. All right. First item here on the agenda is uh consideration of the minutes from uh the Thursday, February 5th meeting 2026. Um hope everybody has chance to review them. Um I would like to make one note, I believe, on the deferral from the February for the uh Marlow Townhomes item that was deferred in February. Docket item, I believe number 020226. Um that was a motion was made by correct me if I'm wrong. Um Commissioner Hannah uh Commissioner Gall and Mr. Sanderson, I believe, uh abstained from the motion. So if you could verify that, um, and with that confirmation and correction to the record, I would like to make a motion for approval. Second. Okay. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. All right. Uh turn it back over to City for opening remarks. Good evening and welcome to the Lakewood Planning Commission meeting. 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 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 docket item, and public comment shall only address that specific docket item being considered. I'm gonna skip the part about the timer for public comment. Um if that comes into play, we can talk about that later. Um also submit statements to the secretary for both applicants and members of the public make and comment. When you're called to the podium, we ask that you sign the oath sheet and then state your name and address into the microphone for the record prior to addressing the commission. All right. Thank you for the opening remarks. Uh first uh on the agenda here. I guess second on the agenda would be old business uh item number docket docket number item 02026, Marlow Town Homes. Um I would like to invite um Frank Carnado with Greenlight Building Company to the podium here to present your item. Um Mr. Chair, I'm going to change myself. Thank you. All right. Hi, my name is Frank Camardo with Greenlight Building Company.
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