Dick Ireland, president of the community association for The Enclave (behind Randall’s on Lake Houston Parkway), was invited by the Revitalization Committee and KF resident Don Barksdale to talk at Monday’s board meeting on their experience with key access to their community pool.
The Enclave is similar in demographics to Kings Forest with 165 homes; Ireland believes a substantial number of Enclave residents are in their 70s, but there are some younger families with children as well. (The response to the recent KF survey indicated approximately 6% of our heads of household are below the age of 40; 11% between 41-50; 32% between 51-60; 28% between 61-70, and 19% above the age of 70.) He described pool use by Enclave residents as light. (Kings Forest survey results showed approx. 60% of our residents did not use our pool at all in 2007.)
Ireland said The Enclave has experienced very few problems over the years and community leaders have been pleased with the way key access has worked for them. They have the conventional insurance policy through KSA with $1 million cap. They contract for chemical pool service only, with board president and others performing routine maintenance. When asked if residents abused the pool facility in any way, such as leaving garbage behind, soiling the bathrooms, or committing vandalism, he replied that this had really not been a problem. There was an occasion, he said, where laborers with access to the pool had caused some problems, and another where residents were walking their dogs in the grassy areas outside the pool, but these were quickly eliminated.
Residents are asked to turn over their key when they sell their homes; key loss and replacement have also been minimal, he said.
Ireland described in general terms their key access policy:
- Each residence is provided a key at no charge; keys are cut at Sears
- The pool is locked with a conventional lockable knob
- Residents are expected to clean up after themselves
- Hours of use are restricted
- There are the usual limits on age of children, accompaniment by adult, no liquor or glass
- An automatic floodlight comes on if the pool is approached after dark
