Table of Contents
Introduction
In 2026, thanks to the generous donations of its Members and other individuals, POENB, Inc. installed a FAAC B680H Hybrid/Hydraulic Barrier Gate (“Security Gate”) at the vehicle entrance to Price’s Bend. This vehicle entrance is on Birmingham Drive and allows easy access to Price’s Bend parking lot.
The Security Gate at the entrance is intended to be used by vehicles only. Pedestrians should enter Price’s Bend from the two designated pedestrian Member entrances: (1) near the shed and (2) near the children’s playground set.
The Gate Rules describe how Members should access and use the Security Gate at Price’s Bend in a safe, secure and responsible manner. This document does not address the operation or security features of any other gates or physical barriers at POENB’s two Beach Properties.
This document also uses defined terms and references other POENB Rule and Policies.
The first letter of a key term is CAPITALIZED throughout this document. Key Terms and Definitions are listed in alphabetical order and are found in a separate document.
In addition to the Gate Rules and Key Terms and Definitions, POENB has five other Rules and Policies. All seven documents are posted on the POENB website (www.eatonsneck.org).
Members and other interested parties should consult and carefully readthe Gate Rules, Key Terms and Definitions and other POENB Rules and Policies documentsto have a comprehensive understanding of POENB’s management practices.
When a Member initially receives his/her Clicker, he/she will be asked to confirm, in writing, that he/she has read the Gate Rules, understands them and agrees with them. Members will also be asked to confirm their agreement with the Gate Rules annually thereafter by checking a box on their Membership Application.
The Board may modify, update or rescind POENB’s Rules and Policies to adapt to new legal requirements, strategic goals and/or operational needs. Typically, the Board evaluates the POENB Rules and Policies on an annual basis. However, in selected cases, POENB may need to modify the Rules and Policies during a given year to properly manage the Beach Properties for the benefit and safety of the Members. Changes to these Rules and Policies are permitted based on a simple majority vote by the Board of Directors.
The Board will communicate to Members material changes to the Rules and Policies during the Member Meetings and/or via emails or announcements on social media.
An Appendix to the Gate Rules contains a Version Control Table that identifies the name, version, and “as of” date for the Gate Rules and the Member who made the changes. It also identifies the Board Member (by Title) who is responsible for ensuring (1) the accuracy, completeness, currency, and reasonableness of the Gate Rules on a go-forward basis, and (2) the intellectual consistency of the Gate Rules with related POENB Rules and Policies.
POENB disclaims all liability for personal injury, property damage, or loss arising from use of Association properties, except those caused by the Association’s gross negligence. All users (Members, Member Household, Member Guests, Beach Party/Event Attendees, Resident Non-Member Property Owners, Authorized Vendors and Party / Event Vendors) assume all risks associated with beach activities and agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Property Owners of Eaton’s Neck Beach Inc. (POENB), its Board, and Members from claims related to their use, guests, or events.
Feedback or questions: Contact info@eatonsneck.org.
Gate Hours of Operation
- The Security Gate operates 24/7.
- Members and Authorized Vendors must use their Clickers to BOTH enter and exit Price’s Bend via the Security Gate.
- During POENB Sponsored Events, a Member Sponsored Beach Party / Event, or other situations determined by the Board (e.g., equipment malfunction, mechanical damage, or inclement weather), the Gate’s Barrier Arm may be placed in an up or down position for a period of time. During the time the barrier arm is temporarily up or down, a Member’s or Authorized Vendor’s Clicker will not function.
Clicker Eligibility, Issuance and Distribution
- Clickers are remote control devices, exclusively available to (1) POENB Members in Good Standing and (2) Authorized POENB Vendors, which allow individuals to safely and conveniently open and close the Security Gate from inside their vehicle.
- Each Member Household may request as many Clickers as they would like, if the Member provides a refundable security deposit for each Clicker received.
- As of March 2026, a $35 security deposit is required for each Clicker. The deposit is fully refunded when the Member returns the Clicker in “good working order” less any fees incurred for damages or penalties.
- A Clicker in good working order means that (1) the Clicker case is not broken, cracked or chipped, (2) the battery is fresh (not corroded), (3) the battery fits securely in the case, (4) the Clicker button functions (can be pressed and is not sticky, dirty or filled with debris), and (5) pressing the button enables the security gate to open and close (the “Clicker” transmits a signal correctly).
- Clickers may be requested in writing when an Eligible POENB Area Resident completes his/her Membership Application (online or paper) and includes the security deposit with their other payments (e.g., annual dues, watercraft storage fee, and general donations).
- A Member in Good Standing may also request a Clicker – outside of the membership application period – by emailing the Association at info@eatonsneck.org. When making this request, please include your Member name, street address, and contact information as well as your refundable Clicker security deposit.
- Members should note that each Clicker has a unique ID and this unique Clicker ID is associated with the Member in POENB’s member database. Members should read POENB’s Security and Data Policies to understand how POENB uses the information collected from the Clickers. The Security and Data Policies address POENB physical security and deterrence, data collection, data privacy and surveillance policies and practices.
- Clickers are “evergreen” which means that the Clickers are assigned to the Member “in semi-perpetuity.” Clickers are not reissued on an annual basis. A Member may use the same Clicker for as long as (1) he/she is a Member in Good Standing and (2) the Clicker is in “Good Working Order.” Collecting and redistributing clickers annually is costly and administratively burdensome; POENB tries to operate efficiently.
- Once POENB has verified that the request for a Click was made by a Member in Good Standing and that POENB has received the security deposit, the Clicker will be hand delivered (put into a Member’s mailbox or handed to them at a POENB meeting) by a POENB Security Officer or Board Member).
- For initial or new requests made on the Membership Application, the Clicker should be distributed within two weeks after the “early bird” payment period (March 31) has ended (on or before April 15). For requests made at all other times, POENB will deliver the Clicker within 10 days to two weeks of security deposit receipt.
Returned or Lost / Non-Functioning Clickers
- Members are responsible for the condition of their Clicker.
- If a Member has been issued a Clicker and decides he/she no longer needs the Clicker or no longer chooses to be a Member of POENB, he/she should email POENB’s Security Officer at info@eatonsneck.org and ask them how and where to return their Clicker.
- When the Clicker is returned, POENB will refund 100% of the security deposit collected at the time the Clicker was issued to the Member. POENB’s Security Officers and Treasurer are charged with keeping complete and accurate records of the Clicker Security Deposits received from Members. The security deposit required may change over time given market rates (the price POENB pays to the gate vendor, IAL for the Clicker).
- Please report a lost or damaged Clicker within 24 hours to the Association by emailing info@eatonsneck.org.
- If a Clicker is lost or damaged (e.g., no longer in “Good Working Order”), the Member forfeits his/her clicker security deposit.
- To receive a replacement Clicker (for a LOST or Member DAMAGED Clicker), the Member must provide a new security deposit. The amount of the new security deposit is equal to the cost that POENB pays IAL, the security company vendor, plus a small mark-up. POENB must pay IAL market rates for clickers (ordered in packs of 10). As a result, the security deposit for a replacement clicker may be more than the security deposit the member originally provided, especially if the Member had had their Clicker “for years.”
- Clicker Security Deposits are also forfeited if a Member fails to return their Clicker upon membership termination or after 60 days of no response to POENB’s written requests to return the Clicker.
- POENB can deactivate Member Clickers. Clickers will be de-activated if an Eligible Resident does not renew their POENB membership.
Visitor, Guest, and Beach Party/Event Attendee Access to the Price’s Bend Parking Lot
- Visitors, Guests, and Beach Party/Event Attendees may need to use the Price’s Bend parking lot and therefore, need a way to pass through the Security Gate. The terms Visitor, Guest, and Beach Party/Event Attendee are defined in Key Terms and Definitions document.
- With respect to Visitors and Beach Party/Event Attendees, a POENB Security Officer or Board Member, with a manual override key, disables “Clicker” access and opens the gate 30 minutes (or a time mutually agreed upon) before event. The POENB Security Officer or Board Member then closes the gate (puts it into the down position) 30 minutes after the event (or after a mutually agreed upon time), turns off the manual override option and then returns the gate to “clicker accessible.”
- Recall that when a Member reserves Price’s Bend to hold a Beach party/Event, he/she will be asked to provide the date, time, and the approximate number of Attendees and the number of Attendee cars and Beach Party/Event Vehicles on the request form. This allows POENB to make sure that the Security Gate is up and down at the appropriate times.
- Regarding Guests, POENB assumes that Guests will arrive at Price’s Bend accompanied by their Member. See Beach Rules – Guest Policies and Rules. If the Member has a Clicker and wants to park his/her vehicle in the Parking Lot, the Guest(s) is assumed to be in Member’s vehicle. Therefore, there is no need for a temporary Clicker or for a Security Officer to place the gate in an up position to accommodate Member Guests.
- POENB personnel with manual override keys include the Security Officer(s) and may include the Beach Chair, Watercraft Chair, Social Chair, and Beach Party Chair or the Board Member overseeing those responsibilities.
Guidelines for Entering and Exiting the Gate Area Safely
- Members and Authorized Vendors must use their Clickers to BOTH enter and exit Price’s Bend via the Security Gate.
- Approach the gate at a safe speed (under 5 mph) to allow full opening/closing and prevent damage to vehicles or the operator.
- Clickers are for Member (and their Household) use only. Each Clicker is electronically linked to a Member’s name and address. Sharing or lending the clicker OUTSIDE of a Member’s Household is strictly prohibited. If POENB determines that a Member’s Clicker was used by a vendor (authorized or unauthorized), the Member’s Clicker may be suspended (deactivated for a period of time) and could be revoked.
- Children under sixteen are not permitted to operate the Clicker or drive a vehicle through the Security Gate unsupervised.
- During peak Beach Season (Memorial Day to Labor Day), the Security Gate may be temporarily up or down for a period of time to accommodate a POENB sponsored event or a Beach Party/Event (private Member event). The POENB Security Officer (or other Board designated individual) will manually override the ability of Members to use their clickers. Members will be notified via email and posted signage – if the barrier arm is up or down for an extended period of time.
- Barrier Arm Speed
- The FAAC B680H operator for the Lift Master barrier arm can be programmed to move into the up and down position for a MAXIMUM of 6 seconds. Most 15’ gates are programmed to go up and down in 3 or 4 seconds.
- Based on usage, POENB’s Security Officers will determine the optimal barrier arm “up time.” This time needs to be (1) sufficiently long for a Member (with or without a boat trailer) or an Authorized Vendor (with a large truck and equipment) to safely drive into the lot but (2) short enough so that non-members and non-residents are NOT able to closely follow behind a Member to gain unauthorized vehicular access to Price’s Bend (i.e., tailgate).
- Tampering with the Gate
- Taking any unauthorized action that disrupts, modifies, compromises or bypasses the Security Gates’s intended security and safety features is prohibited.
- Such actions are typically classified as vandalism, trespass or criminal tampering.
- These actions might include (1) physical manipulation (“forcing the barrier arm to move,”) (2) obstructing entryways to prevent the gate from closing, (3) altering, covering or removing safety devices (reflector strips), and (4) tail gating.
- Tailgating
- Never play “beat the gate.” Do not Tailgate.
- Tailgating in a security gate context refers to the practice of an unauthorized vehicle following closely behind an authorized vehicle who is using their clicker to enter Price’s Bend. Once the authorized vehicle has entered Price’s Bend and the barrier arm begins to lower, the “tailgater” tries to “sneak in” by accelerating before the arm completes its descent.
- Tailgating can cause considerable damage to both the barrier arm and the vehicle.
- Only one vehicle per Clicker activation.
- Wait for the gate to fully close before the next vehicle proceeds.
- Violations (e.g., physical tampering, tailgating, unauthorized access) will be enforced via security cameras and member reports and may result in POENB imposing fines starting at $25.
- POENB reserves the right to criminally prosecute an individual (Member or non-Member) with deliberately tampering with and interfering with the operation of the security gate.
| Violation Level | Fine | Additional Action |
| First Offense | $25 | Written warning |
| Second Offense | $50 | 30-day gate access suspension (Clicker will be de-activated and not operate for 30 days) |
| Third Offense | $100+ | Clicker revocation and loss of Clicker Security Deposit |
First Responder Access
- First responders (police, fire, ambulance) can open the Security Gate using Siren Operated Sensors (SOS) or “YELP” siren. POENB Security Officers will be responsible for communicating with the first responders about the YELP protocols.
- Please do not block the driveway/Security Gate area if emergency vehicles (police, fire, ambulance) are present.
Gate Malfunction
- POENB is responsible for ensuring that the Security Gate is well maintained and operates as intended.
- POENB has an annual maintenance contract with an Authorized Vendor, IAL, in Smithtown. IAL is also on call and available to respond to ad hoc issues.
- No piece of equipment is infallible, especially in a marine environment. If the gate is not functioning, please contact POENB at info@eatonsneck.org to report the issue.
- One of POENB’s Security Officers will review the issue and request a service call from IAL.
- Depending on the severity of the issue and the response time from IAL (Authorized Vendor), the Security Officer may manually put the barrier arm into the up position until the issue can be resolved.
- Members must not tamper with the FAAC B680H Operator or LiftMaster Barrier Arm or attempt to “repair” the machinery, arm or other parts of the Security Gate themselves.
- Members should also immediately report any hazards (e.g., debris, wildlife, vandalism) that may be causing the gate to malfunction to info@eatonsneck.org.
