ERIE, Colo. — Whether it is hitting the trail or strolling through Briggs Street, the people who call Erie home know the community makes this town shine. The charming nature is instantly felt when stepping foot into the town — locals explained that is part of the reason several chose to live there.
"Small town does mean outdoors, and I would say up and coming with restaurants... And then personally, what I like community-wise for kids in general — there's a lot of adaptive programs for kids with disabilities. So, I think integration is really great here," explained Carly Brooks Rogers, a community member.
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Besides the small-town feel, Denver7 | Your Voice listened to business owners about serving the community and the challenges some see firsthand. A main topic of conversation centered around the growth in the area, which has trickled into the historic main street.
Denver7 | Your Voice
Denver7 | Your Voice visits Erie to discover people, places that make it unique
"It's definitely the growth, but you know, one of the cool things has been to see that amount of people kind of moving to the area, all the different businesses that have kind of popped up," said Dan Gump, co-owner of Briggs Street Books and Music. "I think a lot of people have that sense of wanting to add something to it, and they see other people opening businesses. There's just there's a lot of creative people here."
Locals are aware of more foot traffic in the area and how this will also bring more cars onto the roadways. During our Denver7 | Your Voice visit, one concern about growth was how it could impact traffic, along with crime.
Denver7's Maggy Wolanske sat down with the Town of Erie Chief of Police Lee Mathis to understand how the department is keeping up with the community's needs. Mathis was sworn in as chief in 2023, but has been with the department for over 21 years.
"It's like a new year every year. Erie's growing so fast that I constantly feel like it's a new challenge, a new problem that we're dealing with, so even though I've been here 21 years, each year feels new," Mathis said.
As traffic has increased with Erie's growth, the police department has developed strategies to keep drivers safe on the increasingly busy roads.
"We actually started a traffic unit in 2021," said Mathis. "I believe it started out with one officer and now has four, so we have a sergeant and three officers just dedicated to traffic and all they do is go out there to those problem areas where we may have a complaint of speeding or construction or a high accident location, and they concentrate their enforcement and their traffic safety efforts in those areas and that's what we'll do as we grow."
Construction is happening outside the police department, with Mathis explaining they are going through a 37,000-square-foot expansion, which is expected to be done in late 2027. He said the building was built in 2014 to house 50 officers, and they currently have 47.
"So, that will help us hire up to 100-plus officers to serve the town as it grows, and will give us bigger evidence storage that will give us a place to process vehicles, and it'll give the officers the areas they need to do the specialized duties that they have," Mathis said.
Looking to the future, the department plans to grow to 60 officers by 2030. Mathis emphasized that besides reaching this number, he's also focusing on building the right culture from the ground up.
"We go out, and we respond with compassion and professionalism, and so I'm looking for that person who wants to make that connection in the community," Mathis said. "That isn't necessarily going to be putting handcuffs on everybody every single day, but you're going to make a connection with the community and give them the level of service that they expect."
Denver7 | Your Voice listened to the appreciation locals have for their trails, open spaces, and accessible playground equipment in Erie.
Luke Bolinger, Town of Erie's director of parks and recreation, explained that they maintain 13 neighborhood parks, 82 miles of trails, and over 1,500 acres of open space.
"Well, I think what we learned in COVID is parks and open spaces were really the only places that you could go to, that you could visit, and maybe socialize with people," Bolinger said. "So, it's really important, not just from a physical standpoint, but we think about the social and the mental well-being of community members in these spaces that we maintain and build."
Looking out on Coal Creek Park, Bolinger explained how the park can be activated year-round, as they can turn the splash pad into an ice rink. Construction could also be seen at the park for a pedestrian bridge that will help connect people from the trail directly into the park.
"We're constantly looking at all aspects of our system and making sure that we're providing equitable access across the system without overburdening the taxpayers in our system," Bolinger said. "We try to be really smart in where we're planning new parks and new open spaces and new amenities because in 20, 30 years, we don't know what's going to happen."
To address potential community concerns, Bolinger explained the organization's systematic approach for replacing damaged equipment and ensuring staff stay up-to-date with necessary updates.
"We have an incredible asset tracking system here in Erie. Every table, every bench, every irrigation system, every playground," Bolinger said. "We know how old it is and what it's going to cost to replace, so we can pretty accurately predict when we need to replace that and I think hopefully that gives the community that kind of warm and fuzzy (feeling) that we're taking care of our infrastructure and we're planning appropriately for growth, especially as new communities come online as well."
Behind all the growth in Erie is the collective strength of local leaders determined to preserve the town's character while also embracing its future.
"They're real people behind these great parks and facilities we have," Bolinger said. "So, it's really just making sure that you're taking care of the people that help you build the system."
In these Denver7 | Your Voice stories, we want to hear from you about what matters most in your community. We hope to hear what makes our communities special, the challenges facing them, and everything in between. Have an idea or want to share your thoughts? Fill out the contact form below.
