Golden Takes Bold Action to Protect Community Over Holiday Weekend

Golden, Colo. ­— July 1, 2020: In anticipation of large crowds gathering along Clear Creek in Golden for the holiday weekend, the City of Golden is closing off all access to the creek within city limits. Pursuant to City Council direction at a special session last night, the City Manager will issue an administrative order closing access points to Clear Creek. “Last weekend’s crowds along the creek gave us deep concern in seeing large gatherings, no social distancing, and very few people wearing masks,” said Golden City Manager Jason Slowinski. “The July 4^th holiday weekend typically brings even bigger crowds to Golden. With the rise in COVID-19 cases in neighboring states where many visitors come from, we want to make sure we are not adding to the problem here in Colorado.”

Residential streets near the creek will be blocked, allowing for local access only. Temporary fencing will block all access points to enter Clear Creek, however the trail will still be accessible. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy all the things Golden has to offer,” said Golden Mayor Laura Weinberg. “This was a difficult decision for us to make, but in these unprecedented times, we have to do what we believe is best for the health of our community.”

City Manager Slowinski will post an administrative order today, requiring masks on all public property.

Additionally, Council will hold another special session on Wednesday, July 8 to consider an emergency ordinance requiring face masks. A previous resolution strongly suggested that people wear masks and encouraged businesses to mandate masks within their buildings, but we’ve learned over the past few weeks that more is needed. “Masks provide freedom for people to be able to travel around,” said Councilor JJ Trout. “Masks give the ability for folks to continue to be able to go to businesses, to hopefully once again enjoy the creek, all while protecting each other.”

Golden businesses are still open and we still welcome visitors. Parts of Washington Avenue (the main downtown street) will be blocked to vehicle traffic so that restaurants and retailers can take full advantage of outdoor seating opportunities. “Crowding along Clear Creek is the biggest problem spot we’ve seen, which is why it is the focus of these decisions,” said Slowinski. “We understand closing off access to the creek won’t solve all the problems we face with protecting ourselves and others against the spread of the virus. But it may help keep our city from becoming a hot spot.”

The creek will stay closed until further notice. City Council directed staff to research safe ways to allow for recreation along the creek. They will discuss at the next regular City Council meeting on Thursday, July 9.