Gotcha Brett....please keep us updated as it develops. Super cool idea because people in metro areas really want some place to escape when they are home. I live in a planned community with a lake/pond, walking paths and it gives the neighborhood a nice peaceful feeling. May be a dumb question but I assume this development will be gated? My community is not gated and outsiders are starting to show up at the lake and ponds with 5 poles, littering, keeping fish, etc.. I wish it was gated.
Very good and very tricky question.
We have to maintain a balance between cost and exclusivity. The moment that we gate the community, the cost to residents jumps dramatically. The reason for this has to do with road maintenance. The area is subject to extreme weather change from season to season. Up to 105*F in the summer and as low as -30*F in the winter. Heavy freeze-thaw cycle! This means roadways require A LOT of maintenance. Ongoing stuff like snow removal and sealing as well as occasional reno work like repaving, storm drain, and gutters. The moment that we gate the community, the HOA has to be responsible for all of that. If we leave it open, the city handles that with tax dollars.
Additionally, The city has created a bike/jogging path along the river that tracks several miles through the whole city and then up through a canyon. Conveniently, it runs along our side of the river just in the bottom left portion and then jumps across a bridge that the city will install and maintain. This is a big amenity for us as well because we now get to offer great river fishing, biking, jogging, etc at no additional HOA cost.
