In late 2025, board members from Park Ridge in Davenport, FL reached out to Surveillance Technology, Inc (STI) to discuss their dissatisfaction with their previous access control provider. They wanted to get STI’s insight on modernized solutions they should consider to enhance protection of their residents and property.
Park Ridge’s relationship with their existing provider is one Surveillance Tech hears about all the time. The original access control gate equipment was 20 years old. Although the manufacturer is still reputable, the advanced age of the DoorKing 1835 telephone entry system inevitably led to intermittent performance issues. To make matters worse, drivers were regularly hitting the lift bar, and the service provider was charging a fee for every visit to repair the gate. The original call placed to Surveillance Tech was actually to inquire about repair services. But the conversation about a break fix evolved to include the opportunity to elevate their system over time. After a strategic dialogue with the experts at STI, Park Ridge designed a plan to improve their equipment through mindful budgeting, which will ultimately result in savings for homeowners.
The new Liftmaster XLV2 video entry system has enhanced the physical equipment and the user experience for residents and guests. Rather than the audio-only interaction of the old telephone entry system, the new system facilitates interaction between guests and residents via a large touchscreen device. Residents can use the connected app on their cell phone to view visitors on video, speak with them over two-way audio, and grant access right from their personal device. In addition to the convenience of approving entry from anywhere, homeowners can proactively manage guest access to render such a call unnecessary altogether! If a resident knows about someone’s planned arrival in advance, they can text a temporary pass to the expected guest. Upon arrival, the guest can use their own phone for entry without engaging the resident. This is particularly useful for recurring service providers, such as housekeepers or petsitters.
The Licensed Community Association Manager and the Board members of Park Ridge all have permission to add or restrict users, in order to keep the database of authorized users current as residents join or depart the community. The new video entry system stores images of everyone who uses the system on the cloud for future reference.
The new barrier arms have red and green LEDs on both sides, clearly indicating when a driver has been granted access to proceed. These new Liftmaster barrier arms are Techna push-away arms. With the old technology, if a vehicle hit the arm, it would break away; and the arm itself would often dislodge into traffic, creating a hazard. The new arms are designed to magnetically release from the barrier arm tower motor, so the bar essentially pushes “out” instead of breaking irreparably. The system will send a notification to board members that a strike has occurred, so they know the equipment needs attention.
How does gate access control work? That depends on the unique solution designed for your entrance. After reviewing driver habits with Park Ridge leaders, Surveillance Tech designed the access control solution accordingly. When guests present their credentials, the swing gate opens slowly while the vehicle is still hindered by the barrier arm. Subsequently, the bar will lift once it’s safe to enter through the swing gate. Although the gate closes rather slowly, the barrier arm descends quickly to deter more than one vehicle from entering before the motorized swing gate is closed. Surveillance Tech also replaced the wing gate motors with Viking F1 motors. As an additional safety control, there is an electromagnetic shadow loop under the barrier arm to prevent the barrier arm from dropping on a vehicle.
In all, the comprehensive package installed at Park Ridge improved visitor experience, increased community control over access, and enhanced safety for drivers.
