Brighton mountain lion no threat, city advises

of Midland Street and east of N. 11th Avenue.

said the visitor is not considered a big threat.

Brighton Police and Colorado Parks and Wildlife o cials are warning Brighton Recreation Center visitors of a mountain lion in the vicinity.

Brighton O cer Jonathan Staton said the big cat was spotted Saturday morning Aug. 5 walking on the paths around the recreation center, north e city and the state placed signs around the area warning residents to keep their pets on a leash but Staton into smaller, re-resistant rooms for making and storing the empty batteries and the factory will have a state-of-the-art re suppression system.

Parents and family members watching a soccer game at the park saw the animal walking along a path across an empty eld and circulated photos.

Brighton’s water treatment facility.

“We’re not relocating her, there is no trapping planned,” Staton said. “She’s just chilling in the area.” Staton, the city’s community services supervisor, said he’s been with the city for more than eight years and the big cat or mountain lion like it has been regular visitor to the area.

“Over the last eight-and-a-half years, we’ve had sightings but no other reports,” Staton said. at includes reports of threats to public or missing animals, he said. Like the sign says, Staton urges residents of the area as well as recreation center visitors to be cautious and keep small dogs, cats and children under adult supervision.

But the biggest threat, according to Jessie Williams, comes from chemicals the battery manufacturing process demands. Some of those chemicals will be stored in tanks along the southern end of the site — across Bromley Lane from

“And then there are schools,” Joe Williams said. “We have Foundations Academy here, Eagle Ridge is here, you have Pennock. All of these schools are in this area and not everyone that lives in this area works here, but our kids all go here. And if something happens at this facility and they have to evacuate, I’ll all have to drive 30 minutes just to get back here and hopefully get to my kid on time.”

Joe Williams said he’s a fan of the product and would love to see the battery maker come to Brighton, just not the middle of the city and not within 600 feet of his home. He notes that the city has zoned lots for more residential development surrounding the building.

“Why can’t you just look out east?” Williams said. “ ere’s acres of empty land out there, acres of better places to put a facility like this. I’m not against your batteries but this is just not the right place to make them.” e two have attended all three neighborhood meetings Amprius has hosted and have gathered signatures to urge city o cials to say no to the project.

Amprius, a maker of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and aircraft, hope to open their large factory in Brighton in 2024. They plan to take over the vacant former Sears/KMart distribution warehouse on Bromley Lane.