Gilroy City Council’s recent split decision to patrol a
quarter-mile of Club Drive in the gated, private Eagle Ridge
subdivision has reheated the long-simmering debate.
Gilroy City Council’s recent split decision to patrol a quarter-mile of Club Drive in the gated, private Eagle Ridge subdivision has reheated the long-simmering debate.
There’s good reason to question the decision – even beyond political payback. The streets of Eagle Ridge were built narrower than city codes allow, but the main developer, Shapell, agreed that because of the exception, the roads in the subdivision would be private and not patrolled by city police. The move saved Shapell lots of money but brought ongoing headaches to the city for years as Eagle Ridge residents have sought police patrols.
Because the streets in Eagle Ridge are so narrow, there are legitimate safety concerns about even basic procedure – pulling cars to the side of the road. Will traffic be able to pass safely?
Because the streets in Eagle Ridge are private and gated, there are legitimate concerns about the fairness of asking all Gilroyans to pay for police patrols of streets they can’t use.
But reasonable solutions exist that don’t require the residents of Eagle Ridge asking for a public handout.
The best solution, in our opinion, is for the residents of Eagle Ridge to pay for private patrols.
But that’s not the only creative solution.
Why doesn’t the Eagle Ridge homeowners association install cameras near the traffic trouble spots? Too much work? It’s easier just to whine until city councilmembers cave in? Residents – because their cars are registered with the HOA – could be levied fines for speeding, running stop signs and the like. Non-residents could be barred from entering Eagle Ridge after a violation or two.
And as one astute reader suggested, has anyone investigated installing speed bumps along Eagle Ridge’s streets? Could roundabouts be employed to slow traffic? What about other passive traffic calming measures?
Finally, if the residents of Eagle Ridge really want Gilroy Police Department cruisers patrolling their streets, they must pay to widen their streets to meet city code and must open them completely to the public.
This much is clear: Taxpayer-funded GPD patrols of private streets are unreasonable, unfair and an invitation for legal burdens on the city of Gilroy down the road.
Why can’t the city council just say “no” when the heat is on from well-connected folks?
beyond political payback. The streets of Eagle Ridge were built narrower than city codes allow. But the main developer, Shapell, agreed that because of the exception, the roads in the subdivision would be private and not patrolled by city police.
The move saved Shapell lots of money but brought ongoing headaches to the city for years as a few vociferous Eagle Ridge residents have sought police patrols.
Because the streets in Eagle Ridge are so narrow, there are legitimate safety concerns about even basic procedure – pulling cars to the side of the road, for example. Will traffic be able to pass safely?
Because the streets in Eagle Ridge are private and gated, there are legitimate concerns about the fairness of asking all Gilroyans to pay for police patrols of streets they can’t use.
But reasonable solutions exist that don’t require the residents of Eagle Ridge asking for a public handout.
The best solution is for the residents of Eagle Ridge to pay for private patrols.
But that’s not the only creative possibility.
Why doesn’t the Eagle Ridge Homeowners Association install $500 cameras near the traffic trouble spots? Too much work? It’s easier just to whine until city councilmembers cave in? Residents – because their cars are registered with the HOA – could be levied fines for speeding, running stop signs and the like. Non-residents could be barred from entering Eagle Ridge after a violation or two.
And as one astute reader suggested, has anyone investigated installing speed bumps along Eagle Ridge’s streets? Could roundabouts be employed to slow traffic? What about other passive traffic calming measures?
Finally, if the residents of Eagle Ridge really want Gilroy Police Department cruisers patrolling their streets, they should widen their streets to meet city code and open them completely to the public.
This much is clear: Taxpayer-funded GPD patrols of private streets are unreasonable, unfair and an invitation for legal burdens on the city of Gilroy down the road.
Why can’t the city council just say “no” when the heat is on from well-connected folks?
