JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — After years of planning, a 4.1-mile stretch of Lookout Mountain Road will close to vehicles every night beginning Wednesday night.
Jefferson County officials and neighbors hope the overnight closure will curb illegal and destructive activity in the area.
"I’ve found bullets in my yard. I’ve found bullets in my driveway, found bullets on the neighbor's roof," said Tom Primozich, who lives at the bottom of Lookout Mountain.
Primozich told Denver7 the late-night troublemakers have stolen his neighborhood's peace and sense of security.
"I don’t think anyone recognizes what we’ve gone through to be woke in the middle of the night to gunfire," he said.
Denver7 has reported extensively on the destructive activities after park hours, which have included vandalism, drug use, littering, use of firearms and more. The decision to construct automatic gates on Lookout Mountain Road came after multiple community meetings and presentations dating back to 2022. After its approval, two gates were installed to close a 4.1-mile stretch of road overnight.
Following a three-week testing period, the electronic gates will now close off the road to vehicles overnight.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said the timing around the closure will vary by season. In the winter, the gates will close at 7 p.m. and reopen at 5 a.m. Beginning the second Sunday in March until Oct. 30, the gates will close one hour after sunset until one hour before sunrise.
First responders will still have access to the road. Walkers and cyclists can also access the stretch through a small side gate.
"The fact that it was busier at midnight on the weekend than it was at 10 in the morning was a huge indicator," said Matt Robbins, community connections director with JeffCo Open Space.
Despite months of public meetings, visitors like Cheyenne Noffsinger told Denver7 they were still skeptical of the change.
"It just feels restricted. Why would I want nature to be restricted to me?" said Noffsinger.
Noffsinger said a 7 p.m. closure is too early and suggested 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. instead.
JeffCo Open Space will analyze cell phone data over the next few months to see what impact the gates have.
"We all know what was happening. What will it look like two months from now? I think that'll be our best indicator," said Robbins.
In the meantime, neighbors who live nearby are looking forward to quieter nights ahead.
"I think for the first time tonight and moving forward, everyone here will take a deep sigh of relief," said Primozich.
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