Construction is under way on the security gate in George and Laura Bush's Preston Hollow neighborhood, and the former president is going to pay the tab – although the cost is unclear.

JIM MAHONEY/DMN

Billy Gibson welded supports on Monday for the neighborhood gate near the Bushes' home. A Bush spokesman said the gate is more for controlling curiosity-seekers than for security. A neighborhood association was formed to help make the gate a reality.

The project comes about six months after the Bushes moved into their newly renovated home and made visible efforts to become part of the neighborhood.

They took Barney on walks – and picked up after him. They visited students at nearby Pershing Elementary School. They posed for pictures with Boy Scouts.

Behind the scenes, the Bushes worked with former Dallas City Council member Willie Cothrum, a land-use consultant, to get the needed permits and votes at City Hall. And Dallas businessman Tom Hicks hosted a function for homeowners at his house, which backs onto the Bush property.

Even the company that's building the gate at Daria Drive and Meaders Lane has gotten the word.

"It's been emphasized to us to make this transition as easy as possible on the neighbors," said Mark Danuser of Tatum Brown Custom Homes.

A number of questions remained, such as how much the gate will cost and whether a guard will monitor who comes and goes.

The neighborhood was beset with curiosity-seekers when the former president bought the house on Daria Place shortly before leaving the White House. The gate is designed to stem the flow of people driving through the neighborhood to see the Bush house.

"The gate itself is not as much a security thing as much as prohibiting vehicular traffic," said Bush spokesman David Sherzer.

Longtime homeowners formed a neighborhood association to work out a way to accommodate the Bushes without disrupting the area. They wanted to be able to come and go or have a pizza delivered without a lot of hurdles.

Homeowners will pay a monthly maintenance fee, but the amount was not disclosed. Construction of the gate could take 45 days, Sherzer said.

"Obviously, the president appreciates how the neighbors have come together to form the association," he said. "Everyone wants life to be as easy as possible."