Lifestyle Estate Installs Third Security Boom

Lifestyle estate installs third security boom — residents now require four taps, a fingerprint and a spiritual readiness to enter

A Somerset West lifestyle estate has completed installation of its third security boom since 2021, bringing the total number of access control points between the public road and a resident’s front door to four and the average entry time for a verified, pre-registered, biometrically enrolled resident to eleven minutes under normal conditions and considerably longer if the system has updated overnight.

Management confirmed the new biometric access system, which supplements the existing PIN pad, proximity card and intercom infrastructure rather than replacing any of it, is “for everyone’s peace of mind” and represents the estate’s commitment to being “a safe, secure and welcoming environment,” a combination of objectives that several residents noted was becoming increasingly difficult to hold simultaneously.

The fingerprint scanner, installed at boom three, requires a clean, dry finger, adequate ambient light and, according to the installation technician who returned twice during the first week, “a calm approach.” Residents who arrive flustered, damp from rain or carrying groceries in both hands have reported mixed results. One resident said she had begun pulling over two hundred metres before the gate to compose herself. Another said he had started parking outside and walking in on foot, which requires a separate pedestrian PIN.

Management confirmed the average eleven-minute entry time is “being looked at” and that a subcommittee of the homeowners’ association has been tasked with reviewing the access protocol. The subcommittee will meet once all members have successfully entered the estate on the same day.

A fourth boom has not been ruled out.

Community & Municipal Affairs – Fanus Botes