Gate Or Not To Gate

Posted at 3:05 PM, Apr. 1, 2007

Many residents here at Westbrook Estates have in the past brought up the idea of having a gated community only to hear that it is not feasible. Lennar Homes for almost 12 years has sold homes in Grand Oaks, which is about a mile away as a gated community. Last year they installed the gates and a guard’s station. They felt that the residents would love to live in a gated community. However, only 42% of the residents voted for a gated community. It would take a vote of 80% of the residents to allow the county to convert the roads from public to private.

Why would the residents not want to live in a gated community?  It has to do with finances. Many residents like the idea of a gated community, but just do not want to pay for it. Once the roads become private the community is responsible for maintenance of the roads and gates, along with being responsible for accidents and injuries. Therefore it takes much of the cost of road maintenance and other costs away from the county and puts it on the community.

The board in Grand Oaks has even gone so far as to insist that Lennar Homes remove the guard house and the gates, and restore the entrance to its original look. The board felt that the issue has been extremely divisive. Although not specified, another likely reason could be the fact that even though they would not be allowed to use the gates or guard station they would still have to maintain them.