Arlington neighborhood indefinitely closes community beach over safety concerns
The board of the Viridian neighborhood in north Arlington voted to indefinitely close a beach in the sprawling subdivision at a meeting June 10.
The Beach at Lake Viridian, which was previously open to the public, was initially closed on May 30 after Arlington police were called to clear 300 teenagers from the area, according to an earlier statement from the board.
About 20 residents spoke at the June 10 meeting about their concerns regarding the beach, according to the Arlington Report. Those residents pointed to multiple incidents in the area, including a drowning in the lake.
The teenagers in that specific incident may not have been up to anything “nefarious,” Viridian’s lawyer Jonathan Finke told the Star-Telegram, but their presence was “the last straw” for residents in the area.
“There have been Instagram social media pop-up parties where hundreds of people show up at the beach and it has become a safety issue,” Finke said. The beach, Finke added, isn’t built to hold that many people.
Finke denied that the concerns about the beach had anything to do with the demographics of people who show up to the parties at the beach.
Residents have asked about the possibility of restricting access to the beach to residents of Viridian, but since the management district is a public entity, it doesn’t have the authority to do that, Finke said.
During the same meeting, the Viridian Municipal Management District board of directors also approved the creation of a committee, which will develop a plan to address concerns about overcrowding, parking and safety, according to the board’s website.
Arlington police have responded to the beach multiple times to help clear the park due to crowds and road access concerns, a police spokesperson said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 9:34 PM.
