Opinion: City Park Deserves A Safer Path Forward

Efforts To Open A New Denver Zoo Entrance Is On Pause … For Now 

By David Scarbeary | For the GPHN

On Sept. 2, City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) hosted a community meeting to discuss the Denver Zoo’s proposal to reopen its long-closed West Entrance — known as Gate 19 — for a one-year pilot project. 

The meeting drew about 70 participants. The zoo’s Chief Operating Officer, Cristal Torres DeHerrera, attended,  as well as Director of Communications Jake Kubié, who outlined the plan and answered community questions.

According to zoo representatives, the goal of reopening Gate 19 is to provide new access for pedestrians and cyclists and improve neighborhood connectivity to the zoo. However, community members expressed broad concern that the plan, as currently designed, conflicts with the 2018 City Park Master Plan, as well as present conditions on the park’s west side.

The master plan envisions Gate 19 as a pedestrian entrance — not as a secondary parking or vehicle access point. During the meeting, attendees noted that the west side of the park currently lacks safe pedestrian routes; there are no sidewalks or protected paths leading from York Street to the gate. That means parents with strollers or children, and wheelchair users, would have to share the road with cars in order to reach the gate. 

Other concerns centered on the risk of increasing car traffic and parking overflow inside City Park. The adjacent playground, tennis courts and picnic areas already experience congestion from zoo visitors during peak weekends and holidays. Residents cautioned that turning Gate 19 into a vehicular access point would further crowd these community spaces and undermine the park’s pastoral character.

Several attendees questioned the zoo’s evidence for supporting the project. Despite having detailed visitor data, zoo officials provided no figures showing how many people currently walk or bike to the zoo. Nor did they provide concrete plans to encourage non-car visits.

After the meeting with City Park Friends and Neighbors, zoo representatives presented the same proposal to other interested parties, including South City Park Neighbors (SCPNA) and City Park Alliance. 

During the SCPNA meeting, zoo representatives suggested that moving the main entrance to its current north location years ago had “closed the zoo off from the surrounding neighborhood.” Our position is that this historical change was made to reduce congestion and preserve access to the park— a priority that remains valid today.

At the SCPNA meeting, neighbors again voiced safety concerns and suggested creative alternatives, such as a key-fob system similar to the Denver Botanic Gardens’ neighborhood gate. That idea was dismissed as unworkable, though zoo staff did say they “would not start the pilot until there had been more community conversation.”

CPFAN appreciates that the plan has been paused to allow for more review. We welcome further collaboration between the city, the zoo, and nearby registered neighborhood organizations — including SCPNA and City Park West. We want to ensure that any future reopening of Gate 19 aligns with the Master Plan’s pedestrian-first vision and protects City Park for all who enjoy it.

City Park exists first and foremost to serve the public as a park. Thoughtful planning, open dialogue, and adherence to the park’s guiding principles will help ensure that both the Denver Zoo and City Park continue to thrive — together.

David Scarbeary is the president of City Park Friends and Neighbors. A native Denverite and neighbor of City Park for nearly four decades, he believes Denver’s parks are essential to public health, equity, and community connection. Learn more at cpfan.org.