Public safety considerations, such as the potential restriction of access for emergency services vehicles, were among the court’s top worries. Commissioners court did not vote on the item.
Bill Cobb, a resident of Cimarron Hills and spokesperson for the group in favor of the proposal, said he believes their proposed plan for a monitored access community—where there is an on-site guard, automatic gate and surveillance equipment—is legal and would help reduce crime in the area.
“It’s been bad, and people don’t really realize that. We’ve checked with the sheriff’s office, and since 2018 we’ve had 158 safety or security issues in Cimarron Hills that they’ve responded to,” Cobb said.
All Williamson County officials who spoke during the meeting—including representatives from the sheriff’s office, emergency medical services and County Engineer/Road & Bridge Division—said they were not proponents of installing a gate on a public, county-maintained road.
“While I know gates are popular in the community, it is always and impedance to emergency services [personnel], who take time trying to get access to the gate, and time is always precious in our business,” said Chris Connealy, senior director of emergency services.
Additionally, County Judge Bill Gravell said the recent tornadoes have affected his position on this issue as he saw the importance of first responders and emergency crews being able to quickly move around the county.
“After last week, gentlemen, I’m not sure that as a judge I would ever be in favor of anything that would obstruct any of our public roadways,” Gravell said.
County Engineer Terron Evertson said he does not know of any other public, county-maintained streets that are gated. Several commissioners expressed concern over setting a precedent where other neighborhoods would also want to gate their entrances.
Commissioners agreed that there needs to be a solution for the crime the area is experiencing and encouraged the neighborhood to work with the sheriff's office on other alternatives.
“It’s complicated. I have had multiple neighborhoods ask for the same thing,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said. “If there’s crime in there, we need to address that. ... It's complicated because we don’t want to start something that’s not a good precedent.”
