Yuba City approves gated communities
Yuba City City Council members voted 3-2 to move the starting time for meetings an hour earlier to 6 p.m. The first meeting with the earlier start would be May 7.
Mayor John Buckland, who with councilmen Kash Gill and Craig Starkey supported the switch, said, "During the summer time, it might be an opportunity to get out of here with the sun still up."
Councilmen John Dukes and Tej Maan voted against the change. Dukes said the earlier time could leave people attending the meeting with a two to three-hour wait to have dinner after the council met. That is asking a little bit much, Dukes said.
— Ryan McCarthy
Gated communities won support Tuesday from the Yuba City City Council if, members said, 100 percent of residents in a neighborhood want to add gates — a threshold that the Renaissance subdivision may not reach.
No residents in the development at Bogue Road and Railroad Avenue in southeast Yuba City — which spurred the discussion Tuesday — spoke during the discussion. But Laurence Sager, who lives in Renaissance, said after the vote that he has major concerns about gates.
Without a guard at the entrance, the gates won't stop vehicles from entering the neighborhood of about 30 residents — and the cost of a guard is likely prohibitive, Sager said.
"It's going to be a problem," he said of 100 percent approval from residents.
Sager also said Renaissance is already one of the safest neighborhoods in Yuba City. Council members emphasized it would necessary to have unanimous residential support for such a conversion.
"If 100 percent of the people don't agree," Councilman Kash Gill said, "then it's not something I can support."
Mayor John Buckland and other council members agreed.
The Renaissance subdivision's inquiries to the city staff about a conversion led to the council review.
Diana Langley, deputy Public Works director, said after the council decision that a subdivision representative would have to develop projected costs to add gates.
"It'll be up to them to take the next step," she said.
Woodbridge Court off Lincoln Road and Cobblestone Court off Blevin Road were built with gates, while Renaissance wants to convert the subdivision to a gated community.
CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.
