Lakewood Council urges voters to reject repeal of recent zoning updates; 9–2 vote

The Lakewood City Council on Feb. 9 voted 9–2 to adopt a resolution urging voters to reject a repeal of the city’s recently updated zoning code, with the special municipal election set for April 7, 2026.

Councilors spent more than an hour debating whether to recommend that residents retain the zoning changes the council adopted last year. The measure the council approved consolidated separate items covering four ballot questions into a single resolution asking voters to vote "no" on repeal. Clerk read the resolution (Item 4CR2026-14) into the record before the public hearing.

Why it matters: The vote frames the city’s official recommendation to voters ahead of the April special election on whether to reinstate the older zoning rules. Council supporters said the updated code allows "missing middle" housing such as duplexes and triplexes and removes some parking minimums near transit — changes they argued will broaden housing choices and reduce environmental impacts. Opponents and some residents said the code change process left people feeling unheard and worried about unintended consequences.

Supporters of the recommendation to keep the code said the change is modest, includes design safeguards, and will help increase housing supply over time. "No, this is not going to bulldoze your neighborhood," Councilor Lowe said, reading from code comparisons and citing that height, setback and open-space requirements remain in force. He added that allowing duplexes and triplexes citywide will create more affordable and resilient housing options for teachers, seniors and frontline workers.

Councilors who pushed back urged more local tools to guarantee affordable housing. Councilor Nystrom noted that Portland’s zoning reforms are paired with several large affordability programs and argued Lakewood lacks comparable programs now, saying, "I think as a body, we agree we need an affordable housing fund, and we are going to start rolling up our sleeves and working on that." Several councilors sought to emphasize added safeguards in the code (limits on large footprints, supplemental design standards for missing‑middle housing) and pledged follow-up work on implementation.

Public comment in the hearing included a Ward 1 resident, Chantal, who told the council the concentration of multi-unit housing in Union Square resulted from older zoning that excluded multifamily options elsewhere and urged voters to "Vote no to stop a rezoning rollback."

The council approved the amendment to consolidate four resolutions 11–0 and then approved Resolution 2026-14 as amended by a roll-call vote of 9–2; the clerk recorded Councilors Lebure and Nystrom as the two no votes.

What’s next: The special municipal election is scheduled for April 7, 2026. Councilors repeatedly said implementation work will continue regardless of the election outcome: staff will continue to refine regulations and the council plans to pursue additional measures such as an affordable housing fund and implementation safeguards.

Authorities and formal actions referenced: Resolution 2026-14 (Item 4CR2026-14) urging voters to vote no on the April 7, 2026 ballot questions; references in debate to ordinances implementing the zoning updates (ordinance numbers cited in background materials were described in staff materials). The council’s formal vote and the resolution text are part of the public record.