Belmar Park is a beautiful urban oasis that should be protected for both the park’s important wildlife habitat and recreation value.

However, we are not convinced demolishing an existing two-story 43,000 square-foot office space and the surrounding parking lots to build a five-story 412-unit condominium poses an actual threat to either the wildlife or the recreation at Belmar Park. The City of Lakewood using eminent domain to take part of the land, as called for by the Save Belmar Park website, would be a misguided overreaction.

The four acres proposed for redevelopment in the heart of Lakewood’s Belmar juts right out into Belmar Park. We do understand why there has been an outcry to make certain the owners of 777 S. Yarrow St. understand the responsibility that comes with building on land surrounded on three sides by a crucial city park.

The land in question last sold as part of a deal in 2021 for $6 million, according to Jefferson County Property Records, and according to The Denver Post’s reporting, the land is zoned for up to 12 stories and high-density housing. The Texas-based company, Kairoi Residential, is already proposing a much smaller building and the president of the company is indicating he is open to making further concessions.

If we were at the table with Kairoi and Save Belmar Park, we would push for a buffer of open space between the park and the new building, and for Kairoi to commit to planting many more trees in that open space than required under the city’s tree-canopy replacement plan for the roughly 69 trees that are going to be cut down for the project.

The existing parking lots on three sides of the land stretch right up to the edge of the property lines adjacent to the park, while on the side facing Yarrow Street, there are more trees and open space. That is the opposite of what would be best for both wildlife habitat and recreation. In exchange for an open space buffer adjacent to the park, perhaps Kairoi could consider building another story or building closer to Yarrow Street. Ultimately, however, the residents opposed to the plan are at the mercy of the builder.

In the end, the City of Lakewood is to blame for this situation.

Long ago members of the council or of the planning department could have recognized that the zoning of this land was at odds with what the community wanted – not because it necessarily interferes with the park’s other uses but because the community is protective of the park’s views and traffic. Zoning can be changed before a project comes to the table but even then it is tricky.

We are also skeptical that the 412 rental units being proposed at this site will make any substantial contribution to Lakewood’s efforts to improve housing affordability but adding density in downtown Lakewood cannot hurt the effort.

The land in question does have some historic value. It was once home to May Bonfils-Stanton’s mansion. Ironically much of Belmar Park and the cultural and government buildings that surround it exist as a result of the families’ generous donations of land. May Bonfils, daughter of The Denver Post’s historic owner Frederick Bonfils, prioritized the natural preservation of the area surrounding Kountze Lake and worked to make the land a wildlife refuge.

Thanks to her conservation efforts Lakewood’s park and cultural resources flourish in Belmar.

But the four acres that once held her mansion, Belmar, were never publicly owned. The mansion was demolished after the Catholic Diocese, which May donated it to, could no longer maintain the upkeep of the building.

The commercial space was built in 1964 according to property records.

Perhaps it is time for residents to once again enjoy May Bonfils unrivaled view out across Kountze Lake and with any luck the park’s ecological health will be preserved, all the recreation and a tree canopy will be planted for future generations.

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