The votes got certified..I'm proud!

[serryjw]

of my contribution.( I collected a 1/3 of the signatures) Lakewood is a suburban area in CO.....the area in question is near Green Mountain, overlooking Red Rocks and Denver, and was willed to the city for a park and NOW a developer wantes to build multi million dollar houses on it. I was angry over the land swap. The developer got 22 areas of PRIME real estate in exchange for 22 areas of worthless land that he nor Lakewood can build on. He makes 10's of millions and Lakewood gets nothing! Fighting City Hall is fun!
quote.....
Residents who want to stop an already approved land swap that would trade part of the city's Iron Spring Park in the Rooney Valley for a parcel of similar size owned by a developer have collected about 4,000 signatures to overturn the City Council decision.
If at least 2,687 of the petition signatures are certified by the city clerk's office, the council will be forced to accept the change or call a special election that would cost taxpayers at least $200,000.

If enough signatures are valid, the issue will return for council consideration Oct. 9, too late to make the November ballot.

end quote........
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5015588,00.html

[scarletwoman]

1. Congratulations! and Kudos for your hard work!

I'm kicking and recommending because I'm so glad to see a post from someone actually accomplishing something political in GD instead of all the nonsense threads that seem to be clogging the page today.

Congrats again,
:yourock:
sw

[serryjw]

2. Thanks

NOW, we'll see what happens next...This site was supposed to be the 2008 Parade of Homes. The developer is NOT happy!

[VolcanoJen]

3. K&R

Congratulations... and keep fighting!

[serryjw]

4. The area is so over

developed by expensive homes and the residents are concerned over environmental impact of losing their 'open space' and lack of water( a major problem)

[VolcanoJen]

6. This is becoming a huge problem across the country.

These land developers just move in and buy city and county councils with promises of jobs and increased tax revenue that the politicians then try to sell themselves to the voters with.

It is important that more communities take a stand, as yours has done. So many citizens just roll over and assume big business knows all.

I'm also encouraged that citizens are getting involved even when green spaces are not at risk. People are starting to stand up against Wal-Marts popping up in every conceivable neighborhood.

In the Cincinnati area, the Norwood Council declared a decent area of perfectly nice family homes "blighted" and sold them out to a major developer so that he could expand the already-booming shopping center. Many residents sold their homes to the developer, but a handful refused, took their eminent domain case all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court, and won.

More info on the Norwood Case, which should be inspiring to neighborhood activists:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060804/NEWS01/608040396

Thanks very much for posting this encouraging story today, serryjw!

[serryjw]

7. Your scenario is exactly

what is happening here. The developers are declaring areas 'blighted' and the city councils are selling this to the residents. CO has major water problems. This development will have over 1400 homes. Where are the schools coming from, first responders? I live in Denver but the Lakewood city council is so corrupt, they love their tax revenue...BUT no one is mentioning that we are the #1 in foreclosures in the country. We have plenty of housing for sale.

[eleny]

9. Thank you for everything!

I live in Lakewood. We have two houses on our block for sale for almost a year. Nice starter houses but they're just sitting there.

I got a call from a polling company about the development issue. It was about a month ago. Citizens on the go!

[serryjw]

11. It's the enemy that called

I heard from several people that they got a call also. City Council know if it goes to a vote, they will lose. It's the 2nd Lakewood ballot initiative I have worked on.....I hate your City Council. You should see the ditch you got, CC should be ashamed.

[eleny]

12. Well, then I'm glad I was called

They got an earful since they also asked some open ended questions, too.

[serryjw]

13. We in US don't agree

on much but ask any one in Lakewood about open space and 95% will give you an earful...thanks for helping!

[gademocrat7]

5. Great! Good luck in your continued effort to keep the developer

from destroying more of the environment.

[wildeyed]

8. Way to go!

:woohoo:

In my city, developers and realtors give an insane amount of campaign money to all the city council members, both rep and dem. People are starting to get fed up, finally, but it will take a lot to break the grip they have on the electoral process.

Good luck!

[Skidmore]

10. Well done, you!!

Congratulations!