Lakewood Board of Adjustment approves Xcel Energy variance to raise substation fence to 10 feet

Lakewood — On Dec. 3, 2025 the Lakewood Board of Adjustment unanimously approved Planning Case VM250006, granting Xcel Energy permission to replace the perimeter fence surrounding its substation at 898 South Wadsworth Boulevard and increase the fence height to 10 feet.

Xcel Energy representative Lisa Foster told the board the company is seeking the variance to meet federal security-related reliability requirements administered under NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) and FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). Foster said Xcel’s proposed fence will use a 1-inch mesh and a heavier gauge material that is “more difficult to cut,” and that the project will be built within the existing fence footprint. She said the work is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026 and take approximately six months.

Paul Rice, a planner with Community and Sustainability Development, reviewed the staff analysis and recommended approval. Rice said the site is about five acres, has been a utility station since about 1955, and that staff mailed 579 notices to nearby tenants and property owners and notified six registered neighborhood organizations; Rice reported only two comments on the city’s engagement portal, both generally supportive with minor landscaping suggestions. Rice explained recent proposed zoning amendments that would increase allowed utility fence height remain paused and are not adopted, making the variance the appropriate path for this request.

Resident Roland Bender, who lives near Weir Gulch, spoke during public comment and said he did not object to a taller fence but warned that extending or enclosing the site could impede neighborhood access for vegetation and fire management and limit emergency responders’ access. Bender also raised concerns about homeless encampments, nighttime vehicle storage and increased local noise.

Foster responded that Xcel will add the property to its vegetation-management schedule and provided contact information for neighbors to report problems. She told the board there will be no barbed wire atop the new fence and that Xcel would not extend the fence beyond the current footprint without another public hearing. Evan Singleton, counsel for Xcel’s land-use work, said the company’s internal security policies — reviewed by third parties under reliability standards — drove the design choice and that the smaller mesh is intended to be harder to scale than the current barbed-wire-topped fence.

Board Member Greg Lewinis moved to approve the variance; the motion passed by roll call, 6 ayes, 0 nays. Chair Buckley noted the board found the application met the variance criteria in the zoning code. Rice advised that, if approved, Xcel may move forward and apply for permits; staff stated the board’s decision is final and the applicant could technically apply immediately.

The board’s action allows Xcel to apply for building permits consistent with the approved variance. The city’s file lists the case as VM250006 and the project address as 898 South Wadsworth Boulevard.