UPDATE: Town of Monument tables discussion on parking fees at Monument Lake after hearing residents’ concerns
MONUMENT, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Monument Town Council was scheduled to meet Monday to discuss a proposed ordinance to charge for parking at Monument Lake. The measure aims to reduce congestion, improve access for emergency crews, and minimize disruptions for neighboring residents.
If passed, the proposed ordinance would implement kiosks to charge visitors a fee of a little over $5 for a 24-hour parking pass. Violations of the new parking rules would result in a 50-dollar ticket. Revenue generated from these fees would be allocated toward maintenance at Monument Lake.
Monument Lake is a popular destination, particularly for fishing. Roland Dander, a fishing enthusiast and visitor to Monument Lake, highlighted its appeal. "This is probably one of the only fishing spots for stocked trout and northern pike," Dander said.
Dander also raised concerns about the potential impact of parking fees on accessibility. "My mother, she has a spinal cord injury, and sometimes when we go fishing, she's unable to walk pretty far," Dander stated. "It's unfair to her that if we did have to pay for parking, she has to pay to go over there, even though she's unable to walk really far."
Congestion at the lake has been a concern for local residents. Tara Williams, a Monument Lake resident, described current issues at the site. "There have been times where things are getting a little out of hand," Williams said. "There are fights sometimes. There's sometimes music that's not appropriate for all the ages that are here to hear. And so there have been times that police have been called more than once."
However, Williams questioned the effectiveness of the proposed parking fees in alleviating congestion. "I know that on busy days in the summertime, we have this parking lot full and we have the overflow parking lot full as well," Williams said. She suggested a possible unintended consequence. "I think it's reasonable to assume people might park in the neighborhood and then come down through the trails that we have leading to the lake."
The resolution specifies that police will be responsible for issuing tickets for any parking violations if the ordinance is enacted.
At the Town Council Meeting
A town employee at the meeting said that over the course of 12 months, the proposal is projected to bring in anywhere from $26,000 to $53,000 for the town.
Several residents of the Lake of the Rockies Metropolitan District, which sits right next to Monument Lake, raised several concerns about the pay-for-parking proposal.
"I know we're gonna have a huge issue when it comes to parking on the streets," Eddie Jones, president of the metro district, told the council.
Other members of the district brought up concerns about more damage being caused to their property.
"I'm asking that you guys put in no-parking signs or boulders...along the front of our development," Jennifer Adams said. She recounted stories of 4th of July visitors to the lake damaging yards and sprinkler heads of homes near the lake every year, and expressed concern that the issue could become year-round, thanks to people trying to skip out on paying for a parking spot.
Others speaking at the meeting brought up ideas of free parking for Monument residents, whose tax dollars already go towards upkeep at the lake, or yearly passes for residents at a much reduced rate.
The discussion led to a unanimous vote by the mayor and town council to table the discussion until July 20.
"I think we have a lot more to discuss about this topic," Mayor LaKind said.
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