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Neighbors press Fort Collins City Council to keep EPIC Stewart access as emergency-only
Summary
Scores of residents, parents and schoolchildren urged council to oppose making EPIC’s Stewart Street emergency gate a regular exit. Speakers cited near-misses, past congestion when the gate was open, the 1985 ordinance restricting egress, and asked for traffic surveys and community engagement.
A large block of public comment at the Oct. 16 Fort Collins City Council meeting focused on a staff evaluation of potentially opening the EPIC Arena emergency access on Stewart Street to regular egress during events.
Students from Riffenburg Elementary and other residents told the council they fear additional vehicle traffic at a four‑way convergence used by many walkers and cyclists. “It’s already really scary and dangerous to walk across the crosswalks on Stewart,” said a third‑grade speaker identified as Juno, who asked the council not to open the access to EPIC. Multiple parents and neighborhood leaders recounted near‑misses and collisions from the 2018 temporary opening, and several speakers urged the city to provide crossing guards or speed mitigation rather than a permanent egress.
Ryan James, a Parkwood East resident, called for immediate neighborhood engagement, citing past incidents when the gate was open for months and describing observed fender‑benders and a bicycle crash near the route. Other residents said opening the gate would create a shortcut used as an entrance despite signage, increasing traffic during school drop‑off and swim‑practice times.
Council members acknowledged the concerns and asked staff to brief the neighborhoods on the study timeline. City staff said they are in an assessment phase and plan two traffic surveys (spring and November) with neighborhood meetings after results are available; there are no staff recommendations at this stage. Mayor Pro Tem asked whether any change would return to council for approval; staff said yes and committed to public outreach before recommending a change.
The comments repeatedly referenced Ordinance 98 (1985) as the basis for keeping the Stewart access emergency‑only; multiple councilors said they would review that ordinance as part of next steps. Staff said the safe‑routes‑to‑school team will be part of subsequent analysis. No formal action on the access was taken at the Oct. 16 meeting.
