Water! Water! Water!

[Superpenguin]

Well then have a gate item which only allows people living in town to use, so that was visitors can't enter.

but now that you mentioned it blocking off areas is kinda stupid

yeah no kidding. I guess if you're working on a "secret area" and you don't want your friends to see it then it has a point, but I can't think of any other reason to do it.