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Sheriff, parks staff and committee discuss long-term storage, abandoned campers at county campgrounds
Summary
Adams County parks staff and the sheriff told the Property and Recreation Committee that long-term storage of campers, boats, trailers and ATVs at Petenwell and Castle Rock campgrounds has become a persistent operational issue; staff said removal requires owner-notice procedures under a county ordinance and that the county has used certified letters and surplus sale in prior cases.
Adams County parks staff and committee members told the Property and Recreation Committee that several campground parking and storage areas currently host long-term vehicles and equipment—jetskis, ATVs, campers, boats and trailers—creating aesthetic concerns and potential lost revenue for the county.
Scott (board member) described on-site counts during an inspection: at one lot he reported seeing “4 jet skis, 15 ATVs, 17 campers, 14 trailers, 2 cars, abandoned cars, 5 pontoons, 7 boats, 1 truck that had a valid car pass, 1 shed, and 1 ice shack.” Staff later provided site-specific counts for Castle Rock (reported as 11 boats/pontoons, 7 campers, 5 trailers and 1 ice shack). Several members said some items appear abandoned and that the county is not consistently collecting the nominal storage fee the county charges (staff referenced a $2-per-day rate for some storage).
Sheriff Brent York told the committee there is a county ordinance addressing abandoned property but cautioned the ordinance’s procedures must be followed: staff must determine whether units are legally abandoned, attempt to contact owners, and follow notice procedures before disposal. “There’s a ordinance a county ordinance for abandoned property,” York said, and he noted removal is not automatic if the county previously gave permission for equipment to be left on site.
Darren (parks staff) and Doug (parks manager/staff) described operational reasons some items are stored in parking lots—overflow for boat trailers and short-term storage for slip users—and said staff uses red tags, certified letters and coordination with the sheriff to resolve some cases. Doug said the county previously disposed of abandoned units by selling them through state surplus after following legal notice steps.
Committee members suggested operational fixes such as issuing numbered stickers for paid storage, improving daily checks of campsite payments, regular audits of storage lots, and coordination with corp counsel and the sheriff for clearer enforcement. Cynthia (board member) asked to be included in follow-up and offered to research ordinances or request an internal audit if needed. The committee did not take formal enforcement action at the meeting; staff was directed to continue tracking, pursue owner-notice procedures where applicable, and report back to the committee.
