When: Friday, January 24, 2025
Time: 10:30 AM
Place: Hybrid, In person or Virtual via Zoom (Lakewood City Hall Council Chambers 6000 Main St SW Lakewood, WA 98499)
The City of Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department will be holding a public hearing for permit number 10185 – Lakewood Towne Center Apartments Master Planned Development. The project scope includes: A total of 309 market rate housing units which includes 147 of those units in a 5-story elevator serviced building as well as 162 units throughout (7), 3-story garden-style buildings. The project will provide over 40,559 SF of common open area, over 473 on-site parking stalls, indoor and outdoor amenity areas for its future tenants, and a large landscape buffer. The proposal is located at 5731 Main Street SW, Lakewood WA (APN#4002240070; 4002240010) located within the Central Business District (CBD).
All persons wishing to submit written comment on this project prior to the public hearing may do by 5 PM on January 23, 2025. Written comments may also be submitted at the hearing and interested parties may testify at the public hearing. The project files are available upon request. A copy of the staff report will be available for review through the Planning and Public Works Department five calendar days prior to the public hearing.
To participate in Public Comment and/or Public Testimony:
Public Comments and Public Testimony on Public Hearings will be accepted in person, by mail, email or by live virtual comment. Send comments by mail or email to Andrea Bell, Senior Planner, at 6000 Main Street SW Lakewood, WA 98499 or abell@cityoflakewood.us. Comments received up to one hour before the meeting will be provided to the Hearing Examiner electronically.
You may attend the public hearing in person or virtually by utilizing the following zoom link and associated information such as dial-in information by phone, meeting ID and passcode. Outside of Public Testimony, all attendees on ZOOM will continue to have the ability to virtually raise your hand for the duration of the meeting. You will not be acknowledged, and your microphone will remain muted except for when you are called upon.
To provide Public Comments or Testimony virtually during the meeting, you will need to join the Zoom meeting as an attendee either by calling by telephone or joining online.
By telephone: Dial +1(253) 215- 8782 and enter participant ID: 842 2296 8502 and Passcode: 817348 or by visiting: https://cityoflakewood-us.zoom.us/j/87055769356?pwd=usp2A0YTYIC2eMBceno8LlNF2r6DEm.1
It seems pretty clear that you are not wanting the current business owners in Lakewood to be a part of this public hearing. A meeting at 10:30 am when they are running their businesses is a very awkward time to be having “public” meeting. So many folks are at work, and most employers are not going to let you have the day off to go to a public meeting. I sometimes think these public meetings are just fulfilling the mandate that there be a public meeting . No real thought as to how to actually get your public involved. I also think that no matter if people come to state their views and concerns , they will not be considered on any level because what ever plans the city and the developers have, will commence without regards to public concern.
It is sad that this city is more interested in tax revenue than in helping small private businesses thrive.