Vineyard Gate change: The change to Blue Knight has brought a significant policy change to how the Vineyard gate operates. The old scheme provided manned gate coverage from 6 am until 10 pm. Under the new scheme the gate is manned from 6 am only until golf course closing. Though this can vary, it is published as 6 pm. After that, there is NO ONE at the gate. There is still one roving patrol vehicle which is now supposed to run from 6 am until 10 pm. Their major marching orders are to ticket illegal parking, tag garbage cans left out too long, and report suspicious activity. After golf course closing, the CALL button is not answered for help or to report issues. If guests need access and can’t work the call box, the only way in is to call a resident’s cell and hope things work as they should, or call the roving patrol (either 916-715-4879 or 916-715-5079) and hope for assistance.
We’d like your thoughts/comments on this new policy; like it, hate it or don’t care. Click on the “Comments” button at the top of this post.
Golf Course Update: Another letter exchange has taken place between Placer County and Morgan Creek, LLC. The County Planning Department has taken the position that their application does not comply with SB330, and various land use and zoning provisions. The County has given Morgan Creek, LLC until July 24 to reply. Until then, their application is deemed incomplete. So the project continues to slog onward with no resolution yet in sight.
For those of you interested in the details, we have included copies if the letter exchange below.
Hate it. Let’s just get rid of the security… and save the money.
Personally, we spend way to much money on a gate attendant. Large communities like Catta Verdera have 5 gates and no attendants and no rover. You either know your parties code number (which changes every three months at Catta) or you do not get in. I am fine with that! Woodcreek is the same in their gated area, they hold gates open from 6am to 9am for working people and again at 4-7pm, cuts down on the gates swinging and they have no “security” problems. Why do we feel we have problems? According to the Sheriff we do not have problems.
As for the application, I believe it may have moved forward long ago but for them wanting to use SB330. MCLLC is so far behind the curve now I don’t see them being able to sell the land as a development.
I feel the new gate policy is ridiculous. There should be a specific time for closure and when the gate is not manned resident’s guests should have a code to enter. Other gated communities have this system… why add additional steps?
Person working at walerga cottage NEVER responds to emails & phone calls.
Services keep going down yet HOA keep going up.
I think out code system is much different from other communities and too complicated. Here we have to give our guests a code, then when the code is entered it generates a call to our cell phone, then we have to make another entry to open the gate….. Other gated communities we’ve visited are much simpler – you enter a code and the gate opens. If we are no longer going to staff the main gate then simplify the system as other communities seem to have done.
Since gate and patrol operation hours have been changed, First Service, and our Board, has a duty to notified every resident of the changes and spell out specifically how the gates effect us all going forward. The staffing of the gate should NOT be tied to golf course closure – most residents, including myself, have no idea when the golf course closes. It should be time specific, dependent on time of year. Also, I know accommodations need to be made for special events held at the golf course pavilion – how does that work?? What are procedures for realtors to show our homes for sale? How will large parties, graduations, etc. held by residents be handled after 6pm. We should be instructed on how all of these situations will be handled.
I have inquired about the association offering an easily traceable hand held RFID cards for residents entry… I was told they are not available… Here is a scenario, which seems even more relevant with the new gate hours..
I leave Morgan Creek, not in my vehicle… I don’t take my phone with me (which is actually great), I return to the gate after attendant hours in a non-resident vehicle… How do I enter the gate to get to my home???
Please allow RFID cards…
Steve
RFID cards can be stolen, or passed around to non family members…………….they introduce a risk to our safety and security.
Jim…
The use of RFID cards can be tracked and monitored, and also be canceled if lost or stolen. Do many people loose their drivers licenses? We are talking about a card the same size…Let’s give our residents a little more faith and trust to be responsible….
Steve
Personally, I would be in favor of making the Walerga gate an unstaffed exit only and direct all traffic coming into the north side of the community to the Vineyard gate. Place attendants at Vineyard and PFE from 6am to midnight (TBD) and have no rover. This would be fair to both sides of our community and eliminate or substantially reduce tailgating and cars entering through the exit gates. In my opinion, the rover is useless and gives everyone a false sense of security – they are NOT security officers.
What happens if the gates fail?
Do we just hope!!
Hate sucks.
Also ticked at getting tickets in my car when Im visiting a friend in the community
I hate the policy of making it almost impossible for guests to enter MC. I also think that ticketing a MC resident who visits a friend in MC is counter-productive. Is there some reason the patrol cannot check the MC registration and determine that the car is a visitor?
In the past, the gate attendant would give our a visitor pass to place in the windshield – what happened to that procedure???
The ccurrent gate system is overly complicated, technologicly complex and provides no added protection against unauthorized entrants. They simply wait for someone else to enter and tailgate. On the PFE side of MC, the alleged “extra” protection is totally irrevelant since the Morgan Greens gate uses traditional user codes. I suggest that we install the much simpler system like Morgan Greens. We won’t lose any protection and will eliminate complexity and downtime.
Don’t like this change! I live off the Pinehurst side and my guests can’t call the gate guard after 6 to get in. There needs to be someone handling these calls and issues!
Agree with Dustin………………where is the equity???
Again…I ask…where is a resident aupposed to park when they visit someone in the community. Im tired of getting violation notices in my car!!!!
Regarding the gate, there needs to be a call option 24/7 in cases of emergency or if the owner can’t be reached. Security should have electronic access to the owners approved guest list to allow access to the community.
I think that we pay too much for the gate attendants and what good are roving patrols when there are little off any reports of crime. Most days they drive right past the court or use it for a place to stop and look at their phones. And if the hours are solely dependent on the golf course the course should pick up some or all of the expense. I think a lot more thought needs to go into the staffing of the gates and “security.”
MCOWNERS,
Hopefully is the operative word…………….Hopefully!!!
Something needs to be done about the new greeters – I realize they are new and I realize they have a job to do, BUT five cars waiting and the gateway congested to the point that residents can’t even go around to use the Visitor’s side is ridiculous.