DENVER — A big construction project is underway at Rosamond Park in southeast Denver. New tennis and pickleball courts will eventually go in, but the asbestos that is being removed is of more concern to some who live nearby, especially since little to no notice was given that it was happening.
Jake Sandi rides his bike to and through Rosamond Park fairly regularly. It was very obvious to him that work was being done on the tennis courts. But he was not familiar with any of the specifics of the removal of the old courts.
He has no idea that there was asbestos in the old courts, and that the workers who were in full protective suits and respirators were in the process of removing it.
“I was completely surprised,” he said.
Denver7’s Jason Gruenauer spoke to several park-goers and nearby neighborhood residents, none of whom knew about the asbestos in the park.
"That seems kind of concerning, because I don't know, my whole life, it's like, 'Stay away from asbestos.' That's scary stuff," Sandi said.
Denver Parks and Recreation is the department behind the project, but ultimately, Denver’s Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) is overseeing the asbestos abatement. Project Manager Steve Gonzales explained that the asbestos at Rosamond is considered "non-friable," meaning it is mixed inside another material — in this case, the asphalt of the courts.
“As long as we can keep that material during our demolition, if we can keep that material non-friable, then it poses an extremely, extremely low risk to public health,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales said DDPHE was aware of asbestos in the courts since testing in 2022. The tennis court replacement project therefore contained asbestos abatement from the beginning. He went on to list the steps that the city is taking, alongside the contractor, to make sure that the project is safe, including an on-site environmental impact consultant and additional air monitoring of the site for airborne asbestos.
Hear more from Gonzales about the steps being taken in the video below:
Despite those steps, having workers on site in full-body protective suits, wearing respirators, and spraying water down as debris is removed and put into plastic-lined dump trucks can still look a bit scary for people who are passing by, walking their dogs, or driving by that section of the park. Gonzales recognized that, while laying out the OSHA rules that require the protection.
“If you don't know what's going on, I can imagine it could seem kind of alarming, but that's exactly why the city has all these layers of protection to protect the public health,” Gonzales said.
From the sidewalk on the south side of the park, along E. Quincy Avenue, the project and the workers are clearly visible. What isn’t as visible is the single 2-foot sign containing the asbestos warning and the asbestos-warning tape along the top side of one of the fences. Denver7 confirmed there was no notice sent out to nearby residents about the asbestos, and there was no mention of it in the presentations during two public meetings ahead of the project.
“For this particular work that we're doing, it's not required,” Gonzales said.
A spokesperson for the health department followed up, saying that because this project is considered a renovation and not a demolition, public notice was not required under rules of the Denver Department of Community Planning and Development. She went on to say that public notification was also not required for this project by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Yet, many who use the park still believe some sort of notice or visible signage would help ease their minds.
“Just more of a notice and more information about asbestos and how cautious we actually should be, or don't need to be,” Sandi said.
The entire Rosamond Park project includes the tennis courts along with an entire playground remodel. The total cost of the project is $2,375,000 according to a public presentation.
The tennis court project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
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