Wildwood public safety board opposes gate on Turnberry Place Drive

The Board of Public Safety in Wildwood voted to oppose installation of a vehicle gate across Turnberry Place Drive at Strecker Road and adopted broader language discouraging gates or other physical obstructions on any public street in the city.

Board members said the proposed gate would hinder emergency response and create maintenance and reliability concerns. Deputy Fire Chief Joe Hafer told the board that gates or mechanical access controls “can fail,” slow response times and exacerbate access problems when cars are parked near the opening.

The matter dates to the mid-1990s, when the Turnberry/Strecker intersection was restricted after resident complaints; delineator posts on the southbound lane were retained to allow emergency vehicles to pass. Public Works Director Rick Brown told the board the city had previously rejected a full gate request in 2009 and was now soliciting bids for a southbound gate that, if installed, would need to meet fire-district access requirements.

Board members and fire and police leadership said the existing delineators are already breached at times and that adding a gate would create another obstacle for first responders. Several board members recommended instead that the city explore reopening the connection or otherwise restoring the roadway so it functions as a public street.

After discussion the board passed a motion opposing installation of a gate on Turnberry Place Drive. The board then approved a second motion endorsing a prohibition on gates or other physical obstructions on any public street within the city’s jurisdiction and recommending that existing gates or obstructions be identified and removed where feasible in coordination with Public Works and other departments.

The board asked City staff to forward its position and the motion language to the City Council and the Department of Public Works for follow-up and to include any necessary coordination with the Metro West Fire District.

The board also discussed that gate-like devices installed on private roads are different from the public-street case and noted privately gated streets remain governed by separate rules.