A new fence going up around Ray Aguilera Park is drawing mixed reactions from neighbors and city leaders, with some calling it a needed safety measure and others questioning access to a public space.Pueblo City Council member Ro ger Gomez, who represents District 4, said the project has been years in the making.This fence has been a point of contention. Ive been working on this for the last two years, Gomez said.The project comes with a price tag of about $400,000, funded through lottery dollars and city support. According to Gomez, the investment is aimed at addressing long-standing concerns in the park.When I did my candidacy, I walked around and talked to these people, and the stories they were telling me, and they were heartbroken. Send your kids over there, and they come back with needles. Then they stop sending their kids, he said.Gomez said issues like overnight activity, damage, and safety concerns have kept families away and increased costs for police and medical response.The money from police overtime the medical sector that has to come out here, its just one thing after the other, he said.The fence will wrap around most of the park and include gates, cameras, and set hours, limiting access at night. However, the baseball field will not be enclosed and will remain open.Leaving it open, the problem you have is the access to it at night, Gomez said.Still, not everyone agrees with the approach.Manuel Encina, who said he has lived near the park for about 40 years, believes the fence sends the wrong message.Theyre locking us out. Why are they locking us out of a public property? Encina said.Encina added he never felt the park was unsafe.We never had no problem, he said.Others in the community support the project, saying they are already noticing changes.Richard Bachicha, who is a volunteer with the Bessemer Association for Neighborhood Development (BAND), said the goal is to restore the park to what it once was.We just wanna get this park the way it used to be back in the day the swimming pool open, we get elderly people, we get family down here to have their barbecues, we miss all that," Bachicha said.Bachicha said fewer people have been gathering in the park as construction moves forward.Theres not one single person around here now. Usually theres a lot, he said.Gomez said the long-term goal is to create a safer, more welcoming space for families and children, and that this project could expand beyond just one park.Its my hope that this pilot program is going to be developed for the East Side, Gomez said.Were trying to take our park back, he said.Construction on the fence is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.____Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching. ...read more read less