For months, members of the Walden Lake Community Association have discussed a plethora of issues regarding safety, security and unwanted guests in the country club community.
Now, Walden Lake leaders have arrived at a potential solution that would affect every resident in the community: 24-hour monitoring at all gates.
WLCA President Jim Chancey currently is discussing with city officials the possibility of fully gating Walden Lake. Because the community’s roads are maintained by the municipality, closing the gates requires city approval.
Currently, the community’s gates are open to the public between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., cars must enter through the main entrance gates off either Alexander Street or Trapnell Road; the community’s other gates are padlocked.
If the WLCA decided to convert to a fully gated community, residents would be able to enter through any gate, possibly via a clicker or fob device, said WLCA Vice President Rich Glorioso. Guests would have to enter the community through either the Alexander Street or Trapnell Road entrances, which would be monitored at all times — either by a live security guard or via digital monitoring.
Although the community would be fully gated, Glorioso said the guards could not deny access to anyone wishing to enter. However, there would be an accurate log of every person and car entering the community, he said.
The idea of fully gating the community came several months after the WLCA began researching upgrading the security cameras throughout the community. At their Aug. 18 meeting, WLCA members directed property management firm Associa to obtain price quotes and options for 24-hour gate monitoring.
The board’s decision to increase the community’s security is a response to the recurring problem of non-residents using Walden Lake amenities, such as its playground, walking trails and water access. For example, although signs indicate that unauthorized vehicles at Walden Lake Park will be towed, cars without residential stickers are often found there, especially at the park, which has a limited number of parking spaces available.
“Our residents can’t even get to our park, because people outside are using it,” WLCA Director Bob Hunter said.
The board hopes to come closer to decisions on what to do about these issues at its September meeting.
MOTORIZED VEHICLES BANNED
The board approved a revised policy regarding motorized vehicles in Walden Lake.
“We have some kids that are running four-wheelers through the property,” Glorioso said.
The policy prohibits drivers from using motorized vehicles (golf carts, ATVs, mo-peds, motor cycles and any other vehicle above five-brake horsepower) anywhere around the lake, park or other common areas.
There are special guidelines for golf carts. Golf carts are the only motorized vehicle approved for use on the golf course. They may also be used on WLCA paths solely for the purpose of going to and from Walden Lake Golf and Country Club (during open hours), or Walden Lake Elementary School (from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. on school days, or for special events).
Anyone operating a golf cart without a valid driver’s license or current liability insurance, or operating any motorized vehicle in violation of the updated policy, is guilty of trespassing and will be charged accordingly.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.
IN OTHER NEWS
• The board received two quotes for guard shack painting: Jeff Walden Painting ($1,200) and McAdoo painting ($2,400, with the inclusion of special roof coating). Island Painting and TRW Enterprises will soon submit quotes, as well.
• Repairs to the three bridges along the trail are underway, and the board expects them to be completed by the end of August.
• A resident of Walden Reserve has cut an Emerald Forest fence that borders the property. This is a civil matter between the two subdivisions. The board will discuss the installment of a section of fencing within Emerald Forest that would block the view from the yard of the resident who cut down the original fence.