The Town of Bow Mar will begin installing gates at Sheridan Boulevard and the Prospect
Street roundabout — two public roads — following the Board of Trustees’ vote on June 15.
The packed chamber at Columbine Valley Town Hall was full of Bow Mar residents who said the roads in Bow Mar were not built for high volumes of traffic, as they are narrow and don’t have sidewalks.
“It's important to keep in mind that Bow Mar roads are designed for local residential traffic, not to be used as an artery between Littleton and Denver, which they have become,” said Dan Manning, a Bow Mar resident at the June 15 meeting during public comment.
Tucker Ladd printed out photos of the aftermath of car wrecks, particularly accidents involving drunk drivers, within the town.
“I don’t want a ribbon for some kid in our neighborhood that gets taken out because of someone who just can’t do the right thing,” Ladd said. “We’re trying to do the right thing.”
Bow Mar resident Derek Powell said Littleton and Denver should focus on their own cities.
“How dare Denver and Littleton tell us how to run our town? They're hypocrites,” he said. “My message to Mayor (Mike) Johnston, Councilmember (Kevin) Flynn, and Mayor (Kyle) Schlachter: It's your problems. Fix your city.”
Also in the audience was Mike Gent, Littleton’s deputy city manager, who spoke during public comment.
“I think there are certainly alternatives that we can work together on that could have impacts, improve safety and enhance compliance with traffic laws…Having alternative paths benefits more residents and cutting those off…it raises real concerns about how we interact,” he said.
Residents would receive stickers for their vehicles and the gate cameras would be equipped with license plate reading technology, while visitors, like food delivery or service repairs, would need a code to get in.
The gates are estimated to cost $206,665.92 and are expected to be built by Wizard Works Security Systems. Additionally, a concrete work contract for the gates was quoted at $42,941.30. Once the town puts in an order for the equipment, it will take between four to eight weeks to arrive, according to the June 15 agenda packet.
Katie Hills, who lives in the Bow Mar Heights neighborhood that falls under Denver’s jurisdiction, said Bow Mar’s gates will move cut-through traffic to her neighborhood. Hills added that for Bow Mar Heights residents exiting onto Quincy Avenue, the Sheridan gate would make it dangerous to turn left.
“We have two daughters who recently started driving, and I don't want them taking a left on Quincy without a traffic light,” Hills said.
The gate also poses a concern for Julie Nelson, a paramedic with the South Metro Fire District who lives in Bow Mar Heights. Nelson said in her experience, navigating gated communities when responding to an emergency has been difficult.
“A lot of people don’t think about egress until there’s a large fire,” she said.
Bow Mar Mayor Bryan Sperry also printed out photos of traffic accidents, other Bow Mar road closures and a gate at Bow Mar South.
“Another successful gate had been in the neighborhood right next to us, in the city of Littleton,” Berry said, holding up a photo of the Bow Mar South gate. “This is a picture I took this morning… I run through that neighborhood in the morning and I can tell you firsthand that has made those streets a lot quieter.”
Littleton Mayor Kyle Schlachter told the Colorado Community Media that in response to Bow Mar’s vote to implement gates, the city will explore any and all options.
Jon Ewing, the Denver mayor’s office press secretary, told Colorado Community Media that Denver will work with Littleton to prioritize safety.
“Bow Mar residents drive Denver’s streets every day. Denverites aren’t bringing down their property taxes by doing the same,” Ewing said in an emailed statement. “Bow Mar’s plan goes beyond placing private gates on public roads. It grants Bow Mar sole access to a signaled intersection, one that makes travel safer and that, notably, is maintained by Denver. With Littleton, we are reviewing all options to keep travelers safe and have not ruled out putting up gates of our own to ensure drivers can pass through without confusion.”