St. Charles St. gates
 

I understand the fact that the gates to enter the Village of St. James are programmed to open as soon as the sensor detects your vehicle due to all the contractors entering during business hours. However, we've been here about 2 1/2 weeks and regardless of what time we enter, we have yet to have to use our card. Saturday, Sunday, 11:00 at night, etc. the gate will open as soon as you pull up to it. This is not what I would call a secure community. After 5 or so on weekdays and all day Sat. and Sunday, you shouldn't be able to enter without your gate pass. What's the deal?

Hi The Wooz .... it won't be long before you realize that the gates and gate houses are jokes. This is NOT a gated community and anyone, just by pushing a button, can enter. Seems like an unnecessary expense when you consider the salaries, repairs, electricity usage, and more. I can think of only one gate house that is necessary and that's the one at 466 and Morse due to the two lanes becoming one lane ... a safety issue for sure. Others have different viewpoints, of course.

You don't need a card at any of the gates in TV. Just push the red button. After the contractors are finished the gates will require either a card or a push of the button. We are not a gated community just a community with gates.

Restricted Access
 

As far as I know The Villages has never been represented as a gated community. However, it is considered as a Restricted Access community. Since the streets are the property of the counties, they cannot be closed to the general public.

The gates are part of the unique environment and character of The Villages. It is nice to see a smiling face at the gates when you come home. It is nice to know there are security cameras at the gates that can provide a video record of the comings and goings of all. I know of at least one instance where some burglars were apprehended with the assistance of those cameras.

The gates also serve to manage the flow of traffic into the community which also makes some of the golf cart crossings safer.

As far as cost to maintain the gates, I estimate that if we spend the princely sum of $2,000,000 per year, we each pay only $40 per year (4 Johnnie Walker Blacks/yr). I wonder how much it would cost us to pay to maintain our own roads? (I know...our taxes maintain the roads anyway, but I suspect our individual toll for that is much less as it is buried inside the county general budgets)

One big positive thing about all our gates to remember
 

Eventually (assuming you are new based upon few post) you will cross that same gate intersection on a golf cart and be very happy that all cars hv to stop. The gates closing prevent a lot of accidents.... Everywhere

:agree:

And the value of that is pricesless

i agree

:gc::gc: Good post regarding the value of TV gates especially the safety issue for golf carts. The Camera's are certainly of value also. Although we are not a true gated community as such, I believe the gates by just being there provide a certain level of security. The roaming security watch is also of value to our overall security in TV. In short, I feel real safe in TV. :bowdown:

Roaming security? That's great.
Is it based on volunteers? or actual sheriffs?

If you did not have the gates it would be very difficult if not impossible to cross the TV streets with your golf cart in the winter months!

The gates are for traffic control, not for security. This is not a "gated community". With the exception of CYV neighborhoods, all of the streets in TV are public roads.

And at the risk of sounding "rude"...folks who buy, rent, or visit here should take the time to understand how things work.

Community watch people are villages employees. Not deputies. They carry radios and call deputies when necessary through their dispatcher.