HSV Entrance Gates Beautification Project 2022

Flex Stakes at the West and East Gates

Everyone who has entered the Village in the past year has seen the flex stakes at both the East and West Gate entrances of the Village.*  In my opinion, it is not the best look for guests and visitors who may be interested in purchasing property in the Village.

Flex stakes are what traffic engineers call “vertical friction elements,” or up-and-down poles on the side of the road (or in some cases on dividing lines) that a motorist is afraid to hit, like a parked car. (The wider, the more unobstructed the road, the more natural it is to speed up.) The purpose of the installation of the flex stakes at the HSV East and West Gate Entrances was to slow down traffic and keep people from changing lanes in the wrong place.

Intentions Were Good

While intentions were good and hopes were high when the flex stakes were installed, they didn’t fully live up to expectations. Before long, when driving through the West Gate, both damaged and missing flex stakes became noticeable. Obviously, people were running into them as often happened when a bigger truck entered. It turned out that the Street Department Division had to go out on many occasions and replace stakes.

And to add to that, a Gate Guard tripped over one of the flex stakes and broke his nose. Oops. Sounds like a problem.

The West Gate became an eyesore and it started to look like some kind of warzone. That might be a little exaggeration, but you get the point, which is, that it was not a pretty picture.

Early this year, the POA decided to do something different and that is how the Village Entrance Gate Beautification Project came about.

Photos of the Village Entrance Gates Beautification Project

Below is a little photo journal of the remake of the Village West Gate Entrance. The first set of photos depicts the West Gate Entrance to the Village prior to April 13. Note the damaged/missing stakes in the photos below. Click on any photo below and then click the arrow to move through the slider.

The next set of photos shows workers from Mitchell Asphalt on April 14, removing the flex stakes from the West Gate Entrance. After removing the stakes, they restriped the lanes for safety and appearance. Click on any photo below and then click the arrow to move through the slider.

Hang in there – Almost done

The following photos show the workers on April 15, completing the job by installing raised pavement markers (RPM) between the lanes. The RPMs serve as lane dividers but also are reflective at night enabling drivers to see the road better. Click on any photo below and then click the arrow to move through the slider.

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In addition, the Village received a free trial of a Rumble Strip. The workers installed reflective tape on each side for greater visibility. If the POA is satisfied with the Rumble Strip, they will install additional strips.

The reasons for the Entrance Gates Beautification Project were threefold:

• Safety – This new option should prove to be safer for the Gate Guards. Talking to Aaron, one of the West Gate Guards, he said people often did not obey the 15 mph speed limit. The rumble strip will help to slow traffic, providing a safer work environment for the Gate Guards.

• Cost Savings – The POA will save money and manhours by not needing to continually replace the damaged flex stakes. In the long run, this option will prove to be a more cost-effective method of traffic control at the Village Entrance Gates.

• Esthetics – This is a much-improved look. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is definitely the case here.

What a beautiful finished product! And there is even more good news, the East Gate Entrance has received the same makeover.

Todd Noles, Assistant Streets and Sanitation Superintendent said, “We want visitors to see what a beautiful community we have. The gate entrances are the first thing guests see when entering the Village and we wanted something that is not only safe and cost-effective but also visually pleasing to visitors and members alike.”

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HSV Entrance Gates Beautification Project 2022 Video

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Flex Stake Replacements Installed at West Gate

The following information came from the Public Services monthly report.

July 2021 – 23

October 2021 – 19

September 2021 – 19

October 2021 – 13

November 2021 – 19

December 2021 – 25

January 2022 – 22

Flex Stake Replacements Installed at East Gate

September 2021 – 3

November 2021 – 3

There have been 140 flex stake replacements at the West Gate between July 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. The East Gate has had six flex stake replacements in the same time period, for a total of 146 total flex stake replacements at both gates as of January 31, 2022. There is no mention in the Public Services Report of any replacement before July 2021.

Many thanks to HSVPOA Todd Noles, Assistant Street Superintendent, Charlie Brown, Community Development Manager, and Rodney Tarbet, Safety Risk Manager. Also thanks to Mitchell Asphalt and their hard-working employees for the completion of the HSV Entrance Gates Beautification Project.

*It appears the flex stakes may have initially been installed in the second quarter of 2021.

Cheryl Dowden, HSV Gazette, April 15, 2022

Joe Dowden, Videographer and Photographer

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