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Homeowners asking for help after RVs surround Aspgren Park in southwest Denver

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Posted at 4:03 PM, May 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-16 11:13:13-04

DENVER — It's a beautiful park in the heart of this southwest Denver neighborhood, but in the past few weeks, homeowners said Aspgren Park has become inaccessible after multiple RVs moved into the area.

"People have been throwing knives and throwing stars at trees. There are open buckets of feces. There's loud music playing. There are generators running and more people starting to congregate in the park sleeping at night," said Ken Knoblock, president of the Athmar Park Neighborhood Association, on Sunday.

He was speaking on behalf of nearby homeowners, including himself, who say their new neighbors are causing problems.

"I usually take my 17-month-old son to the park to play, and I definitely don't feel safe taking him there now," Knoblock said.

There have also been fights among the RV campers, neighbors said, and police have been called on multiple occasions.

"We are really asking for the city to help us out with this situation. We understand it's really difficult, but we keep getting answers that's kind of like, 'there's nothing we can do,'" Knoblock said.

Denver7 reached out to the Department of Housing Stability. The department has been made aware of the concerns and is advising residents to report the encampments online so the correct outreach teams are dispatched to offer support and services and assess whether a cleanup of the area is necessary.

Denver police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Knoblock said he just hopes his neighborhood isn't forgotten and that the problem doesn't become long term.

"We can't help but have the feeling that if this was in Wash Park, you would never see ten RVs lined up," he said. "You wouldn't see open toilets in the park."

HOST is working on a safe parking program that would allow RV residents to park on city-owned sites and get connected to services. The request for proposals for the program closed at the end of March.

An update on the program wasn't immediately available Sunday.