Residents of a subdivision of multi-million dollar homes are asking for Langley Township permission to turn their neighbourhood into a gated community.
Bob Maddocks of the High Point Equestrian Estates subdivision made the request at the council’s Monday, April 27 meeting.
High Point is located on the sloping land between Zero Avenue and the 400 block of 200 Street. The area includes several kilometres of public equestrian and pedestrian trails, and those link to the Township’s High Point Park, which is entirely inside the neighbourhood.
Maddocks said the residents want a report on the feasibility of designating the entire neighbourhood as a gated community. It only has one road entrance and exit, on 200 Street, so the gate would be placed near the base of the hill at the entrance, he said.
Maddocks said if the Township allows them to create a gated community, they are asking the Township to levy all 164 properties annually. The money would be passed to the High Point Residents Association to pay for the installation and operation of a controlled access gate.
Non-residents would be allowed through the gate, the presenters said.
“The High Point Residents Association does not seek to assume responsibility for the road and trail network,” Maddocks said. Under their current proposal, the Township would still be responsible for road and trail maintenance.
They’re seeking this because they say there has been an uptick in crime in the neighbourhood in recent years, and their location means long police response times.
Maddocks and another resident said there have been multiple burglaries, an extortion incident, and incidents of people on motorcycles stunting and filming each other.
The community is already paying for private security, and Maddocks said almost everyone has security cameras.
“I think the point being, from our perspective, is we need to do something,” Maddocks said. “We’re completely open minded as to what we do.”
Councillors asked a number of questions about the level of crime in the neighbourhood, with Councillor Barb Martens asking if there had been incidents of violent crime, aside from the extortion incident.
Maddocks confirmed it was mostly property crime and concerns about trespassing.
Coun. Steve Ferguson put forward a motion calling for staff – including RCMP, bylaw officials, firefighters, and others to look at the issues the High Point residents raised, including response times.
“I don’t know about the gated part, but they can certainly discuss it,” Ferguson said.
His motion passed unanimously.