Gated streets may get funds (http://newsok.com/article/1798508/?template=home/main)

My favorite part was this from the guy sponsoring the bill:


To the naysayers, he said: “These people really need to stop being the Chicken Littles that are saying, ‘The sky is falling,’ all the time.”

WTF? Gated communties are built specifically to house the Chicken Littles of the world.

Hey, if you want to shut yourself off from society, fine, but don't make me pay for your paranoia...

Also, the developer "envisions an Oklahoma where some or most communities are gated." Yuck! Sounds a little like jail.

Sounds a little like jail.
:iagree:

Well, you know, you gotta keep those serfs and peasants at a distance, or they might start hanging around the castle. :)

. . . . and if you happen to be black and walking through a "semi-public" gated community, you better be pushing a lawn mower.

That brings up a good point. There are a lot of new housing additions on the far north side of town that have gated entry ways. Gaillardia is one of them. Who pays to maintain these streets?

That brings up a good point. There are a lot of new housing additions on the far north side of town that have gated entry ways. Gaillardia is one of them. Who pays to maintain these streets?

The HOA/club fees go towards upkeep of landscaping and streets and stuff.

Most developed subdivisions have a Homeowner's Association, and I imagine the fancy gated communities charge a lot extra to keep up those amenities.

That's the way it should be, since the general citizenship can't use those streets. I live in a gated condominium complex, and the owner's association here has to maintain the road and parking lot. I don't see the difference.

I wouldn't mind living in a gated community. OKC's property crime rate is one of the highest in the nation. Anything shielding me from the creators of that unfortunate statistic is welcome.

I wouldn't mind living in a gated community. OKC's property crime rate is one of the highest in the nation. Anything shielding me from the creators of that unfortunate statistic is welcome.

And believe it or not the lowest crime rates are actually downtown.

Out of all the serious issues are legislators need to address, they want to vote on something stupid like this.

If you want to live in isolation from the outside world suck it up and pay the price.

That rule of open gates during the day is just a pathetic loop hole. All the communities would have to do is hire a security guard to work when the gates our open. Give the security guard strict instructions to run off anyone who did not belong.

My grandmother was just driving through Gallardia by mistake during construction before the gates went up. A security guard flagged her down and threatend to have her arreasted if she did not leave the area. He did not even bother to listen to the fact that she was lost and was trying to find the way out.

If you have the money to live in a gated community, you have the money to pitch in for roads. Just because your rich it does not mean your are entitled to a new paving job every five years. Heven forbid that Muffy and Thurston drive their Mercedes down a rough road.

If a paving job is done right it will last 15-20 years in a neighborhood. (Especially if there are no large trucks traveling on it ) My parents neighborhood was built between 1975-1979. The city is just now doing resurfacing work on the streets around their house.

I say repave every public residential road in the state before paving an inch in any gated community.

And believe it or not the lowest crime rates are actually downtown.

Not in my complex. Since I've been there, (2 years) probably around 20 cars have been burglarized. 3 last weekend.

Also, we have a gate.

(actually, two)

Anything shielding me from the creators of that unfortunate statistic is welcome.

Which is fine, if you're afraid. But I don't want to personally pay so that our city can be more and more shut off from itself and I don't think I should have to, especially if I am not allowed. Those who want to separate themselves from the city can pay for it, imo.


I say repave every public residential road in the state before paving an inch in any gated community.

Twice. Hey, since they'll be "semi-private" they should only get "semi-service".

We already pay a huge amount just to build and maintain the infrastructure just so these people can flee to these communities everyday. That is at the expense of maintaining and improving the hundreds of square miles of infrastructure we already have. They have no interest in being part of the city community, but they want the city to pay for everything for them. I bet most don't even think about the strain the put on the city by doing this, probably because they are doing everything to get out of it.

In the end, this is just another developer trying to increase his margins and a sleep walking legislature that buys his line of economic BS. All that will happen is that this guy makes more money and these people end up buying something they didn’t want. Like 75 said, they’ll have to pay more for the security they wanted anyway (especially after some local kid breaks into their car and they think it’s one of the outsiders) and their dues will be just the same.

Maybe we should use that money to make the city safer for these people in the first place?

Not in my complex. Since I've been there, (2 years) probably around 20 cars have been burglarized. 3 last weekend.

Also, we have a gate.

(actually, two)

That's nothing compared to what I've heard from friends that live around the 122nd and Penn area.

Crime can happen anywhere even in the posh land of gated access and 24 hour armed security.

As one police officer told me: "If someone wants your stuff bad enough they will take it one way or another." In some cases, if they cannot get what they want they will vandalize your property out of frustration.

The key thing is to use a little common sense.

Lock your doors.

Do not leave anything of value in your vehicle in plain site for everyone to see.

Turn down your radio when you are near your destination.

Car alarms are useless. If you do not believe me, look around the next time you are in a large parking lot. Everybody just ignores them because they are just as common as a horn honking or an ambulance passing by.

If you pull in to park with your bass thumping, all you are doing is advertising your vehicle to every potential thief.

If you do not need it, leave it at home.

If I'm paying taxes for roads, I should be able to drive on them, whether they're in my neighborhood or not!