A disgruntled homeowner has revealed the popularity of a creek running through her backyard has skyrocketed after she vented online about having to share the space.
Taralyn Romero, 43, bought a home next to Kittredge Park in 2021 and has since challenged public access to the creek that runs through her property — a battle that outraged locals.
Romero has remained adamant that she should not be bothered by residents stopping by for a dip, regularly sharing updates about her frustrations on social media.
But recent data from the Evergreen Park and Recreation District is showing a significant increase in visitors to the park — and she thinks it’s likely a result of the widespread attention brought about by the viral ordeal of her ordeal.
‘Could it be that people just like the park? Possibly. But I don’t think so,” she said in a TikTok video posted earlier this week.
The EPRD released the statement on November 11, claiming that ‘data shows that visits to Kittredge Park increased by 23 percent between 2022 and 2023, from 9,100 to 15,500 visits, with most visitors spending just over an hour there. ‘
Romero claimed in the video that she is “99.99 percent sure this increase is a direct result” of her story about the land dispute.
The 43-year-old bought the small-town estate as a way to escape the COIVD-19 pandemic while seeking the privacy of the mountains, Romero said. FoxNews.
Taralyn Romero, 43, purchased a home next to Kittredge Park in 2021 and has since fought the public’s rights to use the serene creek that runs through her 0.68-acre property — a battle that outraged locals
Families and locals flocked to the popular ‘water park’ destination, also known as Romero’s backyard, using it for leisure and other outdoor activities
With great excitement, Romero moved into her new home in the winter, enjoying the idyllic view right out her back door.
But as the weather warmed and schools let out for the summer holidays, the self-proclaimed ‘Wicked Witch of the West‘ had many unwanted visitors on her property.
Families, children and locals flocked to the popular ‘water park’ destination, also known as Romero’s backyard, using it for leisure and other outdoor activities, completely ruining the tranquility she had just become accustomed to.
Angered by her new reality and feeling duped by the previous homeowners – as the massive use of the property had not been disclosed at the time of the sale – Romero took to social media to share her dissatisfaction.
Her posts have since been viewed thousands of times, with the most viewed clip racking up a whopping 1.3 million views.
It brought so many people to the park to take pictures of her home and the park itself that she and her fiancé joked about selling tickets to people who wanted to tour her beautiful property.
“Having people from different areas come by Kittredge Park to see what it was all about,” she said.
“When I tell you that people come in, take pictures of my house, of the land, of themselves and then walk out, my fiancé and I joke that we should start selling tickets!”
The 43-year-old bought the small-town estate as a way to escape the COIVD-19 pandemic while seeking the privacy of the mountains, Romero told FoxNews
Angered by her new reality and feeling duped by the previous homeowners – as the massive use of the property had not been made public at the time of the sale – Romero took to social media to share her dissatisfaction
After a short-lived attempt to allow locals to use her property, she decided that her fear of liability, in the event of injury or worse, would be paramount. She then set up rope barriers to keep intruders at bay.
Her protective act infuriated locals, with some booing her and others angry at her shocking decision.
“When you get that kind of disagreement about whose country it is and you get children involved and you use the rhetoric of a screaming lady, then it was really a wildfire for social media,” she said. CBS News.
It became so ridiculous that the haters started committing vandalism in the name of using the land.
‘They verbally abused me incredibly rudely and insulted the country. Sometimes they would take out metal shovels and literally destroy the creek bank, breaking trees and leaving trash behind,” Romero said.
As the dispute continued, Jefferson County, where Kittredge and the country are located, decided to take Romero to court.
Romero settled with the county in May 2023 and a fence was built to officially mark where her land ended.
She gave up a small portion to the province in exchange for a $250,000 payout.
“At the end of the day I said, ‘You know what, let’s split this baby.’
The fence was built in January and the land outside the fence is now managed by the EPRD.