There is chatter from Stapleton residents every year around the fountains on the green and whether or not non-Stapleton residents should be able to enjoy them. “I think the fountains should be meant for Stapleton residents to enjoy,” said Stapleton resident Nicole Christin. “After all, it’s our money running that thing.” Christin explains that many times outsiders overrun the fountain so residents cannot enjoy relaxing in peace or even have their own kids play in them. “Almost every time we are up there, my kids don’t get a chance to play in the fountain,” says Christin. “I really don’t trust these non-Stapleton kids, who aren’t even being supervised.”
Other residents agree with Christin. “In the summer, it is a total mess,” says Dan Stevens. “I don’t know where these kids and families come from, but it’s not Stapleton. We need to figure out a way to regulate it, or at least charge these outsiders for coming in and playing in the fountain.” MCA President Liza Kampstra says that charging for using the fountains has been on the table. “We have thought about charging a fee to help fund the cost of running them,” Says Kampstra. “But, in the end, the benefits don’t outweigh the negatives.” Kampstra says that someone would have to be hired to monitor the situation, and making it a “pay to play” model would certainly hurt the aesthetics of the area. “We are trying to find a solution, but right now, nothing has come up that wouldn’t be more of a distraction and burden than the outsiders are.”
Aside from hurting the appearance of the fountain, residents have other concerns with a pay model. “If you start charging them, it won’t be long before they decide, ‘heck, let’s just pay to go to a Stapleton pool,’” says Skylar Jones. “I don’t think any of us want that.” Although Stapleton residents don’t quite have a feasible solution, most agree that something needs to be done. “Sometimes I just want to sit outside and enjoy a piece of pizza,” says resident Autumn Nielson. “But then I have to look at all these non-Stapleton people, and it quickly becomes a pretty unsettling lunch.”
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