MLK Beloved Community Welcome Walk is Saturday
Join members of the Lakewood MLK Committee this Saturday at Fort Steilacoom Park from 12-3 p.m. for the City of Lakewood’s annual MLK celebration.
This year we’re returning to an in-person event to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This event combines the city’s annual Welcome Walk with its recognition of King.
Head to the Pavilion inside Fort Steilacoom Park Saturday for fellowship and fun. There will be welcome guides to show people where to go when they arrive. Walks are planned throughout the event around the one-mile paved Waughop Lake trail in the park. Along the lake path various traits of a Beloved Community will be shared, prompting people to think about how they can incorporate these traits into their everyday lives.
The event will include an opportunity for people to connect with friends and meet new people.
Participants will enjoy live music from DJ Super Dave, vendors and food trucks. There will be giveaways of mugs, tote bags, bookmarks and more.
Beloved Community Artist Reception is Jan. 13, 2025
Join the City of Lakewood as it continues its Beloved Community celebration on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. at Lakewood City Hall for an in-person Artist Reception featuring local artist Rodney King. King’s work will be on display, and he will be there to answer questions and share about his work.
There will also be live Jazz from saxophonist Maureese Itson, a spoken word performance by Shaidaja Wilson-Dunham, refreshments and more.
Lakewood City Council changes meeting frequency
The Lakewood City Council voted to reduce its monthly meeting days from four to three in 2025.
The new meeting schedule is:
- First Monday: 7 p.m. Regular Meeting
- Second Monday: 7 p.m. Study Session
- Third Monday: 6 p.m. Study Session followed by a Regular Meeting
Meetings will continue to be held in Council Chambers at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main St. SW. All meetings are open to the public. People can attend in person, virtually via Zoom, or watch the meetings live on the city’s YouTube channel.
The City Council offers a public comment period as part of its regular meeting agenda. Public comments are not part of the study session agenda. Attendees can provide comments in writing before a meeting, in person or via Zoom during the public comment period. Those watching on YouTube cannot comment through YouTube.
Find details about upcoming meetings and tentative agenda items online.
MLK Holiday closure Jan. 20
City operations, except for emergency services, will be closed Monday, Jan. 20 in observation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Regular operations resume Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The Lakewood City Council regular meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 6000 Main St. SW.
Fallen Officer Food Drive collection totals
The 15th Annual Fallen Officers Food Drive collected $9,133 and 5,045 pounds of food for the Emergency Food Network.
This is equivalent to providing 22,102 meals to people in need.
Emergency Food Network supplies food banks and food pantries throughout Pierce County, including those in Lakewood, with non-perishable and fresh food items. That means the food and money collected through the Fallen Officers Food Drive went directly back into our community.
Thank you to everyone who donated and for your continued support of the Lakewood Police Department food drive.
Wards Lake Park improvements
Wards Lake Park closed this week to the public. It will remain closed until November 2025.
The closure is in preparation of major improvements planned for the park.
The Lakewood City Council approved a $3.2 million contract authorizing Redside Construction to complete the first two phases of planned improvements.
Once complete, the improvements will make significant changes to the park located off 84th Street SW near the northeastern city limits. Planned upgrades include:
- ADA accessible loop trail with a 170-foot-long bridge over the lake.
- Ten-foot-wide paved trials and gravel paths throughout the site.
- A new playground and picnic shelter.
- A pump bike track.
- 3-acre bike track and skills area.
- New restroom facility.
- Prairie restoration and a bird blind overlooking the lake.
- Public art and landscape improvements near the entry.
- Parking lot expansion.
- New off-leash dog park.
- New neighborhood park and playground at 25th Ave Ct South.
- Landscape improvements.
During construction the public is asked to please stay out of the park and obey all closure signs. This is for public safety and the safety of construction workers in the park.
Attend a Neighborhood Association meeting in 2025
Neighborhood associations play a crucial role in fostering community engagement and improving the quality of life in local neighborhoods. Through its Neighborhood Connections program, the City of Lakewood aims to not only better connect the community, but also help residents better understand city processes.
There are currently six Neighborhood Associations in Lakewood. Five meet regularly. The meeting times and locations are listed below. All residents are invited and encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting for their respective neighborhood. Find out more about the Neighborhood Connections Program online.
- Tillicum/Woodbrook Neighborhood Association
- Meets: Jan. 14, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
- Location: Tillicum-American Lake Gardens Community Center, 14916 Washington Ave SW.
- Springbrook Community Meetings
- Meets: Jan. 16, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
- Location: Springbrook Connections, 5105 Solberg Dr SW #A
- Fort Steilacoom Neighborhood Association
- Meets: Jan. 21, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.
- Location: The Pavilion in Fort Steilacoom Park, 9107 Angle Lane SW
- Downtown Neighborhood Association
- Meets: Feb. 12, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
- Location: Interim Lakewood Library, 10202 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW
- Lake City Neighborhood Association
- Meets: March 13, 2025 at 7 p.m.
- Location: West Pierce Fire & Rescue station, 8517 Washington Blvd. SW
- North Lakewood Neighborhood Association
- No meetings scheduled.
Council Corner: Jan. 6, 2025 recap
Proclamation declaring January 20, 2025 as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Mayor Jason Whalen read a proclamation dedicating Jan. 20, 2025 as “MLK Day of Service” in Lakewood. He encouraged residents to participate in the city’s MLK Beloved Community Welcome Walk Saturday, and volunteer on Jan. 20 to embody Dr. King’s call for service in the community. Kimi Ginn, a member of the Lakewood MLK Committee, accepted the proclamation.
Partners for Parks Presentation. Local nonprofit Partners for Parks presented a check for $99,000 to the Lakewood City Council at its meeting. The money will be used to help pay for the replacement of a portion of the fence at the off-leash dog park in Fort Steilacoom Park. Partners for Parks was awarded the money as a grant from the Names Family Foundation. The city is responsible for completing the improvements.
Reports by the City Manager: Review of 3rd Quarter (2024) Financial Report. Deputy City Manager Tho Kraus provided an update to the City Council on the city’s finances through the end of the third quarter 2024. To see a detailed breakdown of the city’s revenues and expenditures by fund, view the staff report starting on page 131 of the packet.
The City Council acted on the following:
- Authorized a $613,245 construction contract to Miles Resources, LLC for the South Tacoma Way and 92nd Street S Traffic Signal Project.
- Confirmed Stephanie Marshall as the City of Lakewood Hearing Examiner Pro Tem.
- Authorized an amendment to the interlocal agreement with Pierce Transit for police services.
- Accepted a $99,000 donation from Partners for Parks to support replacement of the dog park fence at Fort Steilacoom Park.
- Adopted an ordinance sunsetting the Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board.
- Adopted a resolution amending the City Council Rules of Procedure.
Watch the meeting.
What’s on deck. The Lakewood City Council meets Monday, Jan. 13, 2025 at 7 p.m. for a study session in Council Chambers. Tentative agenda items include:
- Presentation of the draft Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategic Plan.
- Review of operation and maintenance agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation for the I-5 Gravelly – Thorne Connector Shared Use Path.
- Review of the 2025 citizens advisory board, committee and commission work plans.
- Review of City Council liaisons to citizens’ advisory boards, committees and commissions, City Council representation on external committees and boards and City Council Proclamation calendar.
How to attend: Attend in person at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW. Attend virtually via Zoom (or dial 253-215-8782 and enter meeting ID: 868 7263 2373), or watch live on the city’s YouTube channel.
Police Chief’s Corner
Each week Lakewood Police Chief Patrick D. Smith shares a summary that includes a look at total calls for service the Lakewood Police Department responded to for the prior week. The intent of the summary is to show a snapshot of how the department works to keep the community safe. To see quarterly statistical analysis, visit the Lakewood Police Department crime statistics page on the city website.
Week of Dec. 31-Jan. 7, 2024
- Calls for Service: 984 (up 21% from prior week)
- Arrests: 48(up 30% from prior week)
- Violent Crime: 21(down 13% from prior week)
- Property Crime: 52(down 19% from prior week)
- Traffic Stops: 170(up 85% from prior week)
- Collisions (reportable): 26(down 4% from prior week)
Community events
Call to Poets: Submit Your Poem for Lakewold Gardens’ Winter Garden Poetry
Lakewold Gardens is seeking original, unpublished poems for inclusion in the 2025 Winter Poetry in the Gardens event. Poems should be no longer than approximately 1,000 words or no more than five minutes in duration when read aloud, preferably with a theme related to gardens and/or the celebration of nature.
Participants must be Washington State residents and be available to record their poems and have headshot photos taken onsite at Lakewold Gardens the week of Feb. 10, 2025. Poets of all backgrounds and ages are invited to participate. Lakewold Gardens strives to promote contributions from communities that have been traditionally underrepresented. Poets who identify with or are part of these communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Selected participants will be celebrated at a special event on February 22, 2025 where they will be invited to read their poems aloud. Only one entry per poet will be accepted. Entries must be submitted before Jan. 17, 2025. Learn more.
Sign up for Lakewood Alert (Code Red)
The City of Lakewood uses Code Red, an alert service, to notify residents of important information happening in the city.
If there is an emergency that requires public notification, we will use Lakewood Alert as one way to communicate. We will also post information to our website and social media channels.
Subscribers can sign up to receive text and email alerts. People can also sign up for important non-emergency updates including information about road impacts from large events in the city or information about special events.
Find out more and sign up today.
Road project updates
Steilacoom Boulevard Weller to 87th Ave: Active Construction, Inc. is expected to begin on-site preparations for this project on Jan. 21, 2025. Construction will begin by the end of that week. Work starts on the north side of Steilacoom Blvd. TPU, PSE, and other utility purveyors also have work that will be occurring in the project limits in the coming weeks to prepare. More information about lane closures and road impacts will be shared once finalized.
Lakewood Station Access Project: Sound Transit is investing nearly $70 million in road improvements in and around the Lakewood Sounder Station to improve roads in the Lakeview and Springbrook neighborhoods. Recent survey work added one-foot squares of white paint on certain roads. Construction is not anticipated to begin until the fall of 2025.
84th and Pine: Once TPU gives the OK to mount the luminaries on the traffic signal poles the city’s contractor will complete that work.
Farwest Drive SW: The final piece is for the power company to bring power to the lights so they can be turned on. Once that is done, this project is complete.
Rose Road Sanitary Sewer Project: Work is anticipated to start early March.
South Tacoma Way Overlay 96th to Steilacoom Blvd.: Miles Resources is expected to start work in early spring 2025.
South Tacoma Way & 92nd signal replacement: A contract is expected to go to the Lakewood City Council in January for approval. Work is expected to begin in early 2025.
South Tacoma Way 88th to north city limits: An apparent low bidder has been identified and a contract will be sent to the City Council for approval. Work is likely to begin in early spring 2025.
Parks project updates
Each week updates will be shared highlighting the work being done to improve our parks for public use.
American Lake Park: Construction began in September with the replacement of the bulkhead and new retaining walls. Work will continue through winter with the upcoming installation of new restroom, plaza, ADA ramp to the beach, shelter and play equipment upgrades. Work is expected to be complete by early summer.
Wards Lake Park Improvements: The park closed to the public Jan. 7, 2025 and will remain closed through November 2025 for construction. Planned improvements include:
- ADA accessible loop trail with a 170-foot-long bridge over the lake.
- Ten-foot-wide paved trials and gravel paths throughout the site.
- A new playground and picnic shelter.
- A pump bike track.
- New restroom facility.
- Prairie restoration and a bird blind overlooking the lake.
- Public art and landscape improvements near the entry.
- Parking lot expansion.
- New off-leash dog park.
- 3-acre bike track and skills area.
- New neighborhood park and playground at 25th Ave Ct South.
- Landscape improvements.
The Big One: Relocation of the Tenzler Log: Construction of a shelter around the log is nearing completion. The log will be refinished to protect and seal the monument, and a wire mesh installation will be installed this month to protect the round it in its new home at Fort Steilacoom Park. Work is expected to be complete by late January, weather permitting. We expect the blue tarp to be removed by February.
Other park projects planned for 2025:
Primley Park playground replacement
The new playground is ordered and on its way. It is anticipated to be installed before Parks Appreciation Day in April. Other park improvements include a ADA parking spot and accessible pathway.
Oakbrook Park
A new picnic shelter is on order and design is ongoing for an internal that will be installed before the busy summer season.
New park signs
Park signs will be replaced this year with updated designs. Expect the signs in place by summer.
Historic H-Barn revitalization
Grants and community funding continues to come in to support the preservation of the H-barn at Fort Steilacoom Park. Local nonprofit Partners for Parks is working to raise $3.5 million to match a $4 million commitment from the city. Design work will start in early spring to determine building and code needs, as well as cost estimates.
Street End pilot project
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will host a community meeting in early March to look at how to create a new public open space at the Westlake Ave Street End on Lake Steilacoom.
Harry Todd pickleball courts
Four new pickleball courts will be developed at Harry Todd Park this year. The city has submitted permits for this work. The courts should be available for public use by fall 2025.
Nisqually Loop Trail Fort Steilacoom Park
In partnership with the Nisqually Tribe the city will install several interpretive exhibits along the Nisqually Loop Trail in the southeast area of the park. The exhibits will be located along a 1-mile trail and include Nisqually art, educational information and Lushootseed language. Construction is anticipated to occur late summer-fall of 2025.