Neighbors Without Borders

2nd January 2015 - by Chris Saizan

West Sac is getting a gated community. Without the gate.

When I was house hunting, one of the things I loved about West Sac was the feeling of openness and connectedness. The community garden at the end of the block, the benches located between cul-de-sacs.

West Sacramento has 27 parks, three community gardens, the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail, and neighborhoods connected by walking paths and bridges.

What doesn’t fit in? Gated communities.

The residents and leadership of West Sacramento hold that gates represent isolation and exclusion more than safety and security. In fact, they make it harder for emergency vehicles to respond to homes within a gated community because of the single point of entry.

Last month, Mayor Cabaldon and the West Sac City Council reached a win-win compromise with a builder who is planning a new gated community in West Sacramento. Build the homes, but not the gate. (article here)

This solution is so great, in my opinion. The city didn’t shut the builder down, but they didn’t compromise community values either. They welcomed the business and progress, on their own terms.

I like it here.

-Cheers!