Park near Capitol reopens with curfew after rat infestation, spike in homeless camping

The park adjacent to the Colorado Capitol reopened Thursday with a new curfew, more than two months after Denver officials closed it down citing concerns of a rat infestation.

The state-owned area, officially called Lincoln Park, closed in mid-January amid increasing reports of human and animal waste, drug paraphernalia and fears that rats could bite people and spread diseases.

City and state officials reopened the park Thursday afternoon, confirmed Doug Platt, spokesman for the state’s Department of Personnel and Administration.

Contractors have eliminated the rat infestation and removed two dead trees where many of the rodents had been living.

A total cost estimate for that infestation work was not immediately available, Platt said.

To prevent the rats from returning, an 11 p.m. curfew is now in effect at the park, which should keep illegal campers from spending the night there, Platt said. Denver police will be in charge of enforcing that curfew, he said.

Police representatives could not immediately be reached for comment on how enforcement will be handled.

The infestation surfaced after tents and other makeshift shelters popped up in the area, an uptick that followed Denver County Court Judge Johnny C. Barajas’ decision to dismiss a homeless man’s ticket for violating the city’s urban camping ban.

In his ruling, the judge said the law amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

Denver police temporarily halted enforcement as a precautionary measure but resumed about three weeks later. The Denver city attorney’s office has appealed Barajas’ ruling and pledged to defend the ban.