GOLDEN, Colo. — The Golden City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to limit tube sales during the summer months.
The decision was made after weeks of pondering whether or not to make the change.
In Golden, there is already a limit on how many tubes a business can rent during the summer months. The change would apply to the sale of tubes.
Golden
Golden city leaders consider limiting tube sales to help with overcrowding
"I think a lot of the conversation surrounding the creek really just is around what is too many people," said Golden Deputy City Manager Carly Lorentz.
Lorentz told Denver7 that community members have raised concerns in the past surrounding crowd sizes and safety concerns when it comes to tubing along Clear Creek. For Shayne Bryant and his family, neither has been a concern in the more than five years he's spent visiting the creek.
"We swim, do a little bit of tubing here and there, play on the playground, enjoy the park, you know?" Bryant said.
He said he has never been concerned with crowd sizes near Clear Creek, even on the busiest days.
"You're usually having fun bouncing into people on heavy weekends up here along the creek. I mean, you might have to search out a spot, but no, there's never been a problem with congestion," he said.
Adventure West is just one outfitter in Golden that rents and sells commercial-grade tubes. While selling tubes isn't the biggest income driver, the business nonetheless believes the change is concerning.
"Well, this will have a small impact on our business just because there will be certain days where we can't sell," said Elizabeth Battilla, the owner of Adventure West. "If we've hit our limit for rentals, you know, that will be a small impact."
The Golden City Council did not specify how many tubes a business can sell during the summer months. Policy specifics will be discussed at a later date.
