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Carbondale staff report vehicle trespass, porta‑potty fire and other damage at Springbald and Thompson Creek parking area
Summary
Commissioners heard about repeated incidents of damage at the Springbald and Thompson Creek trail parking area, including vehicles driven on trails, mud/erosion damage and a burned porta‑potty; deputies from Pitkin and Garfield counties responded and staff plan cameras, fencing and potential enforcement actions.
Carbondale parks staff reported multiple recent incidents of trespass and property damage at the parking area serving Springbald and Thompson Creek trails, including four occasions in which vehicles drove up the trails, one incident in which a vehicle became stuck, and a later episode in which a porta‑potty was burned, meeting participants said.
Rachel Bachman Perkins (trustee liaison to the commission) described the incidents during the March 12 meeting and said town staff had met the individuals involved the morning after one episode with both Pitkin and Garfield County sheriff’s deputies. Perkins said staff are still deciding what administrative consequences to seek for the offenders and that the town has asked for a written apology to be published as part of the response.
Perkins said the newer parking lot configuration — installed last year and still finishing punchlist work — provides more direct vehicle access to the trailhead than the town’s other trail parking areas, and that this has likely contributed to the vehicle trespass. On one occasion vehicles were reported to have done “donuts” along a groomed trail, creating ruts that staff said will require heavy equipment to repair; on another night a group burned pallets and the porta‑potty’s plastic housing melted, leaving debris and requiring cleanup.
Staff said the incidents were reported to 911 by a member of the public; deputies from Pitkin and Garfield counties responded, and staff plan to increase physical security measures. Perkins said cameras will be placed in the parking lot and a fence will be installed to limit vehicle access. Town staff said these fixes should reduce the risk of repeat damage, and they will evaluate the repair costs and options for recovery from the responsible parties.
The commission discussed enforcement and public‑education options; Perkins said staff will follow up on how to proceed administratively and legally. The town is closing the parking area for the season the day after the meeting, which staff said should limit further immediate damage until next season.
No formal vote was recorded at the meeting about funding enforcement or physical security changes; staff said they will bring cost and enforcement options back to trustees or the commission as appropriate.
