Gate Guards

[BobsBurgers]

This has most likely been addressed in the past but I’m curious. What constitutes one Village getting a gatehouse and guard over another? I haven’t been able to crack the code on my own. 🤣

[aninjamom]

It appears to be the Villages with entrances on the main roads with heavy traffic, like Morse and Buena Vista, or streets that get a lot of through traffic. Lots of non-Villagers go thru those, and the guards can expedite traffic flow.

[carpej]

I think that it is also places where they think many visitors could use information.

[Rapscallion St Croix]

I think most attended gates have two entrance lanes.

[mixsonci]

There's a gate guard at Pinellas and Pinellas doesn't fit any of these explanations. Although it does have 2 entrance lanes. However, St. James has 2 entrance lanes, has heavy traffic there also, but no gate guard. Seems there is no real rime or reason for the gate guard. The only one that really makes sense is Morse and 466.

[Chatbrat]

so right make them all like St. James--

[capecoralbill]

Are the guards/operators paid from the amenity fees, or from the local CDD district, or the POA?

[photo1902]

Are the guards/operators paid from the amenity fees, or from the local CDD district, or the POA?

They are employees of the VCCDD.

[WhoDat]

A question I have is why are there no gates at Morse and Bonita? It is the only entrance on Morse or Buena Vista that does not have gates and the cars fly through there.

[xkeowner]

One big misnomer on this thread is the term "gate guards." They are not armed, they cannot deny entry to anyone and do not have arrest authority. They would be more properly referred to as gate monitors or gate keepers. They can report suspicious persons and activities to appropriate authorities which is as close as they come to being "guards."

As has been stated many times on other threads we do NOT live in a gated community.

[Barefoot]

One big misnomer on this thread is the term "gate guards." I agree, I've always thought they were gate attendants meant for traffic control.
As you said, it's not a gated community

[New Englander]

One big misnomer on this thread is the term "gate guards." They are not armed, they cannot deny entry to anyone and do not have arrest authority. They would be more properly referred to as gate monitors or gate keepers. They can report suspicious persons and activities to appropriate authorities which is as close as they come to being "guards."

As has been stated many times on other threads we do NOT live in a gated community.

I wish we did.

[Ooper]

A question I have is why are there no gates at Morse and Bonita? It is the only entrance on Morse or Buena Vista that does not have gates and the cars fly through there.

Not necessarily, all the village entrances north of 466 off Morse do not have gates. The answer to your question is that there are no village entrances off Bonita between Morse and Buena Vista.

[rjm1cc]

I though the roads were all public so why have the expense of gates?

[photo1902]

Here we go again

[CWGUY]

Not necessarily, all the village entrances north of 466 off Morse do not have gates. The answer to your question is that there are no village entrances off Bonita between Morse and Buena Vista.

:MOJE_whot: OMG ! Where did the Villages of Largo and Bonita go to?

[CWGUY]

I though the roads were all public so why have the expense of gates?

:ohdear: One more time I am confused..... you live here and pay for these gates and don't know what they are for. :shocked:

Village Community Development Districts (https://www.districtgov.org/)

[photo1902]

:ohdear: One more time I am confused..... you live here and pay for these gates and don't know what they are for. :shocked:

Village Community Development Districts (https://www.districtgov.org/)

You can't make this stuff up.

[JoMar]

:ohdear: One more time I am confused..... you live here and pay for these gates and don't know what they are for. :shocked:

Village Community Development Districts (https://www.districtgov.org/)

:agree:

[Fanman]

To control traffic so that golf carts may cross the road.

[kcrazorbackfan]

I wish we did.

You know what? I wish we lived in a truly gated community also, but, and this is a very big but, most of us don't have the funds to live in one of THOSE communities.

And I'm not talking about a Stonecrest type of community, I'm talking about one of THOSE that you don't get into unless the guard knows who's coming in and who they're going in to see. THOSE communities won't have $75k manufactured homes within the same boundary that has $1.5 million plus homes.

The only thing that our gates are designed to do is to slow traffic down to allow carts to cross and enter/exit heavily travelled streets.

[Edjkoz]

To control traffic so that golf carts may cross the road.

I wish that were the case but most of the time the attendant does even look to see if there are golf carts waiting to cross

[Barefoot]

IMHO, some residents forget that we don't pay for the roads or road maintenance within the gates, a huge expense. :shocked:

[Nucky]

The Gate Keepers are fine people and they are challenged by many different kinds of people from the time they go on duty. I just try to not add to their workload and be kind to them because they are just doing a job, they don't make policy or own the joint yet! Carry on.

[EdFNJ]

To control traffic so that golf carts may cross the road.

I strongly disagree with that. Most of the guards can't even see the golf cart crossing from their cubicle (other than the fact most of the crossings are visually blocked by shrubs so cart drivers can't see cars without inching forward literally an inch at a time).

Morse & 466 for example the guard has zero clue that any carts are crossing which can be easily seen by the fact they continually let cars go through without even a 3 or 4 seconds pauses even when carts are "stuck" in the middle. It seems they are mainly "greeters" "direction givers" and have some control over the FLOW of vehicular traffic at busy locations. Most of the time they are inside their house or have one foot in and one foot out holding the STOP sign to alternate visitors and residence traffic.

[Ooper]

:MOJE_whot: OMG ! Where did the Villages of Largo and Bonita go to?

They are in the same place as always but you have to turn into Bonita or Largo from Canal, that's where the gates are. There are NO gates on Bonita between Morse and Buena Vista because there are NO entrances to these villages.

[photo1902]

I strongly disagree with that. Most of the guards can't even see the golf cart crossing from their cubicle (other than the fact most of the crossings are visually blocked by shrubs so cart drivers can't see cars without inching forward literally an inch at a time).

Morse & 466 for example the guard has zero clue that any carts are crossing which can be easily seen by the fact they continually let cars go through without even a 3 or 4 seconds pauses even when carts are "stuck" in the middle. It seems they are mainly "greeters" "direction givers" and have some control over the FLOW of vehicular traffic at busy locations. Most of the time they are inside their house or have one foot in and one foot out holding the STOP sign to alternate visitors and residence traffic.

Gate attendants are not there to watch for carts. That is the responsibility of not only the cart driver, but those in cars and trucks.

[Brawnwy123]

This has most likely been addressed in the past but I’m curious. What constitutes one Village getting a gatehouse and guard over another? I haven’t been able to crack the code on my own. 🤣

Just some suggestions: You may want to think about these things: 1. You cannot judge a book by its cover. 2. You may or may not get what you pay for. 3. If you are retired, you may need to relax, have fun, then learn to believe in, IT is what it is.
:bigbow:

[EdFNJ]

Gate attendants are not there to watch for carts. That is the responsibility of not only the cart driver, but those in cars and trucks.


Had you read the post I had replied to (that poster said "[Gate guards are there]to control traffic so that golf carts may cross the road.") you'd have seen that was the point I was making. Theey aren't and they don't.

[Barefoot]

Gate guards are there to give a cheery greeting to drivers, to (theoretically) control traffic and to give directions.
I agree they don't do a very good job of controlling traffic at the 466/Morse booth.
However in their defense, Morse is a badly planned out street.

[Bogie Shooter]

Gate guards are there to give a cheery greeting to drivers, to (theoretically) control traffic and to give directions.
I agree they don't do a very good job of controlling traffic at the 466/Morse booth.
However in their defense, Morse is a badly planned out street.

I don't know what you mean not a good job.
Have you ever seen north bound Morse traffic backed up on to CR466?

[xkeowner]

I don't know what you mean not a good job.
Have you ever seen north bound Morse traffic backed up on to CR466?

Yes, but not often.

[ColdNoMore]

Gate guards are there to give a cheery greeting to drivers, to (theoretically) control traffic and to give directions.
I agree they don't do a very good job of controlling traffic at the 466/Morse booth.
However in their defense, Morse is a badly planned out street.

Yep...:agree:

It is sometimes aggravating when the gate attendant on Morse (off of 466) isn't paying attention to the southbound cart traffic queued up in the middle of Morse, trying to make a left toward the church/tunnel...and is waving cars through while those using a key card are going through the resident gate.

It sometimes seems that the attendants intent is to purposely ensure that the resident cars and those in the visitor lanes are perfectly staggered...so as not to leave a hole to make the left and get out of the middle of the road. :mad:

All they would need to do is to stop the visitor lane (say maybe every other car), so as to leave a space to make a left with your cart...and scoot across in front of the residents using their gate keys. :oops:

[photo1902]

Had you read the post I had replied to (that poster said "[Gate guards are there]to control traffic so that golf carts may cross the road.") you'd have seen that was the point I was making. Theey aren't and they don't.

My remark was directed at those that think the Gate Attendant, which is the proper title, is there to help with cart traffic. Not your comment. I apologize for the confusion.

[coffeebean]

I though the roads were all public so why have the expense of gates?

The gates are there to slow auto traffic so golf carts can pass.

[coffeebean]

Gate guards are there to give a cheery greeting to drivers, to (theoretically) control traffic and to give directions.
I agree they don't do a very good job of controlling traffic at the 466/Morse booth.
However in their defense, Morse is a badly planned out street.

South of 466 it is fine, IMHO. North of 466, agree with you that is it not planned out very well. I prefer not to drive the golf cart on Morse north of 466 as it seems dangerous to me.

[OCsun]

The attendant gates between 466 & 466A and between 466A & 44A are located at the first (right) Village entrance off of a main cross road.

Examples: Duval - first right off of 466A / Buena Vista going north
Pinellas - first right off of 466A / Buena Vista going south
Hadley - first right off of 466A / Morse

Bonita Road was designed with no gates on Buena Vista or Morse because of the Fire Station's location. As previously stated, the Village entrances for Largo and Bonita are located on Canal St.

[Barefoot]

North of 466, agree with you that is it not planned out very well. I prefer not to drive the golf cart on Morse north of 466 as it seems dangerous to me.I agree - I don't drive my golf cart on Morse north of CR 466 as it also seems dangerous to me.
And IMHO, the gate attendants aren't very efficient in the booth at 466/Morse. :shocked: