The Times’ office is located way at the back of technology drive, so our staff will be interested in seeing how the recent access gate study turns out.

You know you’re in a small community when a single road offshoot becomes the topic of much debate, but we don’t that’s a bad as a bad thing. One of the sayings that helps guide our coverage is “everything is important to somebody.” While the Technology Drive access gate might not affect the lives of the majority of Fountain Hills citizens, it certainly has an impact on at least a handful of nearby residents and the folks who drive through the area.

We’re glad that a matter even with such a narrow scope can become a topic of discussion here in Fountain Hills, as well as on these very pages. We’re even happier to see the Town Council take what some might consider a small matter so seriously. There was a big enough interest to rethink decisions made two decades ago and the recent study proves that the men and women of the Council are willing to give the matter the time and care it deserves.

Now that the study is complete, the only thing we can do is sit back, relax, and wait for someone to crunch all of those numbers into facts the rest of us can more easily digest. As reported in this week’s story, that’s going to take a couple of months. Road studies usually take place over a short period of time, not three whole months. But, again, the Council was willing to give the study the time it needed to produce useful information. Opening a gate that’s been closed for 20 years over a long weekend wouldn’t have painted a very accurate picture. Instead, they spent a full 45 days analyzing nearby traffic with the gate remaining closed, as well as another 45 days with it swung open.

Here’s hoping all of that time and effort has produced some useful numbers to help guide the Council’s upcoming decision. Whether the gate remains closed or it is deemed more beneficial to open it permanently, at least the decision will be based on some cold, hard facts.