Is this really a gated community?
 

Hi folks, We have been here for 8 months now, and my comment / question is; The Villages calls themselves a gated community, which technically it is. However, anyone can come through the gates, either by pressing the red button in the residents lane or going through the visitor lane. A true gated community has resident stickers with bar codes on the vehicles which allows access. I understand that when the red button is pressed a picture of the vehicle is taken, don't know if that is really true, but that does not do much to add to security. Please don't misunderstand, I don't have a problem, it just seems to me that the gates, along with the guards, don't make this a true "gated community". Further, I question the need for the gates, guards and guard shacks since they do not seem to be making anything secure. What am I missing here?

I think you nailed it.

AFAIK they don't and they def aren't. Where did you see The Villages advertised as a true "gated community?" The gates are mostly only for traffic control and to allow golf carts a running chance for a free 3 seconds to cross but not for security.

Use the search function. Enter "gates" and choose titles only. Lots of discussion on this topic.

Where and when did The Villages call themselves a gated community? I think that would be false advertising. Can you cite a source for the information?

Why would anyone want to do that as it would eliminate 50 Costco, Trader Joes and dog poop threads! :1rotfl:

I have never seen any material from The Villages that claims this is a "gated community". It is a community with gates but the roads are all county roads with the exception of the roads in the CYVs. In a true "gated community", the roads are owned and maintained by the community, not the county. The gates in The Villages are primarily for traffic flow control where the MMPs cross in front of the entrances to the various Villages. Without the gates, golf carts would be in jeopardy.

PLUS could you all see how many more accidents we would have??? The gates AND the round abouts are for traffic control. IF you want a true gated community perhaps a Dell Webb or similar would be perfect for you! Mostly the folks "manning" the gates are they to give directions or information (that's why the "visitor's" lane). There is a purpose despite many not seeming to see it.

I wouldn't call the Del Webb community on Rt 441 a true gated community either. They have a restaurant that is open to the public, and anyone can just drive up to the gate and say they are going to the restaurant. Same situation at Stonecrest.

Without the gates, golf carts would be in the frogger game. You wouldn’t get 3 lives.

I did not say TV is a "true" gated community...please re-read my post. This is a oxymoron, since TV is a community with gates, but it is not a gated community.

The answer is no, TV is not a gated community. As OP mentions, more than gates are needed for a “gated community”.

You stated that they call it "a gated community"

My son lives in a true gated community, although it is not in a high or even medium crime area it has 24 hour "armed" security at the entrance. There are two lanes leading up to one gate, the owners have a remote, guests have to talk with security to get it. It is meaningless, you can say you are there for an open house or to look at the exterior of a home for sale, going to pick up a set of clubs, meeting for golf, or just say your visiting a son or parent and they let you in. A true criminal will get in wherever they want, be it here or there.

What you describe is not the way all gated communities work. With many gated communities, you are not going to talk your way in. I have lived in one such community and unless your name was on a list or the guard contacted the resident, you were not getting in through the front gate. This does not mean you could not find a place to climb over the walls.