The town of Wellesley has sent out a request for bids to furnish and install a pair of automated vehicle gates at the entrance to the Town’s Morses Pond property, located at 100 Turner Road. This automated gate system will have a pedestrian warning light and an audible alarm while in operation. The system will be programmable to open and close at designated times, days and dates, including the ability to have programmed automatic exiting to prevent drivers from being locked in. A remote mobile app will be part of the project, so that the gate may be operated remotely, as needed.

The app system will come in handy particularly once the Pond is officially closed for the season, yet warm weather continues, and people still want to access the trails, or hang out on the beach. (Swimming is “at your own risk” after the lifeguards finish their summertime work). Over the years, neighbors have asked the town to give people access to the Morses Pond parking lot, citing times when the Woodlands neighborhood has been overrun with vehicles parking on-street, and sometimes even blocking gate access/emergency access.

The yellow metal Turner Road currently is locked and unlocked manually, typically by town staff, or the Wellesley Police.