Hunts Point To Become Gated Community?

HUNTS POINT

Residents of this small town - home to the wealthy and famous - are considering a proposal to become a gated community to prevent crime and traffic problems.

"I'm sure there's definite support" for it, said Dawn Jasper, who collected signatures from 80 residents to urge the Town Council to look into the issue after her home was burglarized in May.

There will be a public hearing tonight on the proposal.

The council has not endorsed the measure, which has been considered before, but never acted on.

"We could dismiss it, yes, but at the same time, there were enough citizens in town that wanted to see how we could increase our security," said council member Jan Brekke.

Most of Hunts Point - where the average home costs half a million dollars and the average income is $181,400 - sits on a 182-acre finger of land north of Medina, on Lake Washington. The population currently stands at 513 and includes celebrity saxophonist Kenny G.

While gating the only entrance may not necessarily be the best solution, Jasper said the proposal would at least generate discussion on how to promote safety within the community.

A gate may not accomplish what residents want, said Doug Ambrose, acting police chief for Medina, which provides police protection for Hunts Point, because "statistically, burglaries are done in the middle of the day by young people usually living within the neighborhood."

City attorneys Don Black and Carol Morris said a gate "creates numerous legal problems," especially since state law mandates that roads paid for with public money must be open to the public.