Officials in The Villages to discuss ‘controlled access’ for amenities

Officials in The Villages have set a date to discuss “controlled access” for some amenities here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.

Residents’ cries about “outsiders” invading pools and pickleball courts have grown louder in recent years.

The Amenity Authority Committee and the Project Wide Advisory Committee have scheduled a rare joint workshop on the topic at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22 at Savannah Center.

“Joint workshops are exceedingly rare, because only 2-3 have ever been held in The Villages’ history,” noted AAC member and Community Development District 4 Supervisor Don Deakin, one of the longest-serving elected officials in The Villages.

The joint workshop will also look at the possibility of installing long-range gate access. Some officials have bee quietly testing Sunpass-like devices that automatically lift the gates, without the need for a gate attendant or pushing a button.

It has been envisioned that a similar device could be automatically used to access some amenities such as pools or pickleball courts.

Do you think it’s time to update access to gates and amenities in The Villages? Share your thoughts at [email protected]