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Subject: Gated Community: Gate Always Down?

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RjW
(Missouri)

Posts:4

07/25/2008 2:38 PM
Anyone live in a gated community where there is not a full-time human presence at the gate? Our gate is currently open 06:00am-06:00pm Mon-Fri and 09:00am-01:00pm on Sat. It's down all other hours. My understanding is those hours were originally chosen primarily to allow unimpeded entry by various services to the community (mail, garbage collection, UPS, contractors doing construction for residents, etc). Our gate is completely electronically operated. Residents have magnetic gate passes to swipe at a reader when coming in, and visitors can punch a code on a keypad that dials a resident's phone who can then punch a code on their phone to let those visitors in. Plus there is the capability of 'secret codes' for special events (maybe a resident is having a birthday party at the community or some such). Because we're a small lake community with good fishing, and generally nice boating, we do get some 'illegals' coming in when the gate is up. And we've debated the possibility of leaving the gate down 24/7, but have been indecisive about doing so primarily because we're unsure how to provide all those non-resident service personnel convenient access. Unfortunately, budgetary constraints don't allow for a full-time human presence at the gate at this point in time. And were wondering how other communities handle these type situations.(??) Any thoughts appreciated.

GeraldT4

Posts:932

07/25/2008 3:07 PM
RjW - Just curious if anyone at your community has an answer as to how emergency vehicles will gain entrance when the gate is down?

DonnaS
(Tennessee)

Posts:2797

07/25/2008 3:10 PM
These type of gates also have a code that you punch in, usually just 4 numbers. In Martin Co, all of the developements have the same code number that is provided to them by Fire/Rescue and the Sheriffs Dept so all of those guys know what it is.

RjW
(Missouri)

Posts:4

07/25/2008 3:15 PM
Posted By GeraldT4 on 07/25/2008 3:07 PM RjW - Just curious if anyone at your community has an answer as to how emergency vehicles will gain entrance when the gate is down? Not sure....those would fall under the 'services' access I was wondering about. I should check to see how such is handled now when the gate is down. I'm rather new to the community. In theory, we wouldn't be opposed to them driving through/breaking the gate (it's really only a 2x4 painted in 'official' looking colors). But after reading here about one community being sued by a fire dept to recover damages to the truck in exactly such a situation, that obviously isn't such a hot idea.

DonnaS
(Tennessee)

Posts:2797

07/25/2008 3:17 PM
RJW, So during the day, your community is wide open to everyone because the gate arm is up. That is rather---silly? Are the bad guys and those who use the pond to fish on time clocks? They come only after 6? THe purpose of the gates is to impedeeveryone except residents. Everywhere that I own a property has gates and they are used for what they are intended. So someone trying to service the community gets held up for a minute or so. Those who need entry have the code that they must punch in for the gates to open. ps. A full time guard at the entry will not stop the bad guys if they really want to enter unless you have a 6 foot fence around your entire developement.

GeraldT4

Posts:932

07/25/2008 3:17 PM
My concern isn't with providing a code. In the case of a fire or a medical emergency the truck is not likely to stop. My community has a gate, with 24-hour attendants. We have transponders that raise the gate for entrance and exit.

KarenS11
(Florida)

Posts:145

07/25/2008 3:49 PM
We have a vendor code set to only operate the gate from 7:30am to 5:30pm M-F. They can enter the code at the call box and gain entry only during those hours. If someone has a vendor coming there is no reason the vendor can't dial them on the call box to gain access. It's a real struggle keeping the codes secret. Today our letter carrier gave the code to some guy trying to get in. I told him that I would now have to change the code. We have a code for UPS, FedEx and USPS, so the change will be a PITA to them all. I guess I will give them their own separate codes.

RjW
(Missouri)

Posts:4

07/25/2008 3:53 PM
Posted By DonnaS on 07/25/2008 3:17 PM So during the day, your community is wide open to everyone because the gate arm is up. That is rather---silly? Are the bad guys and those who use the pond to fish on time clocks? They come only after 6? THe purpose of the gates is to impedeeveryone except residents. Everywhere that I own a property has gates and they are used for what they are intended. So someone trying to service the community gets held up for a minute or so. Those who need entry have the code that they must punch in for the gates to open. ps. A full time guard at the entry will not stop the bad guys if they really want to enter unless you have a 6 foot fence around your entire developement. Tell me what your really think. As mentioned, I'm fairly new to the community and only recently elected to the BoD, and for my own desires am trying to figure out why we do some of the things we do. And rapidly coming around to the notion you're comments are spot on. To some degree, it does seem the 'bad guys' are on time clocks. I leave for work at roughly 05:30a, and have seen people parked outside the gate on a number of occasions at that time. Though there could be any number of reasons for that (some even legit), I'd bet a donut or two that many are fishermen who don't own property here. Out of curiosity........do your communities register vehicles (sticker issued to be in vehicle window) in addition to the gate being down?

KarenS11
(Florida)

Posts:145

07/25/2008 3:58 PM
RjW- I'm sure that you have been told why they do the things they do- BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY!

DonnaS
(Tennessee)

Posts:2797

07/25/2008 5:08 PM
RjW, My former home in Florida were stand alone homes and NO, we did not register any vehicles. We had clickers or openers if you want to call them that. The gates had 4 number codes which important vendors and fire and sheriff ahd a special code to punch in. As for codes being given out, every quarter, the P.M. would send a notice along with our assessment coupons, that the code had been changed to a new number with the number attached. She does that every quarter. A condo unit that I own has window decals that are bar coded so they do register the VIN and tags.. The security in that place is awesome with security driving thru about every hour to two. But we do have to pay for that luxury. But you do have gates that are operating so why not just use them.

PeterB1
(Florida)

Posts:56

07/26/2008 1:11 PM
RJW, You didn't indicate how many hours per day/week you have a human at the gate. If you have limited funds and a flexible guard, perhaps you don't want the same schedule every day and every week. Your schedule is clearly predictable. We don't have 24 hour manned gates. We tend to man/woman the gate primarily during business hours. Beyond that, our schedule get thin after midnight. After a detailed analysis of costs and benefits, the residents felt it was worth going to 24 hours guards. They understood that the increase in hours would increase the annual dues (and we were able to tell them exactly how much). Starting in 2 months, our gates will be 'guarded' full time at the request of the community.

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