ATV ban nearing reality in Bella Vista

Written by The Benton County Daily Record

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Andra Atteberry

BELLA VISTA - A ban on allterrain vehicles, go-carts and motorized dirt bikes in Bella Vista came a step closer to reality Monday night at a meeting of the Bella Vista City Council.

The council had the second reading of an ordinance banning the vehicles from operating in the city unless they are run on a minimum of 3 acres of property owned by the recreational-vehicle riders.

The alderman listened to four people who want to ride these vehicles and who didn't want the aldermen to pass the new ordinance.

One mother, Crystal Parks, said her son loves to ride his dirt bike. "It's music to my ears that he's out there having good, clean fun," she said.

"It bonds families together." said Andrew Vandermolen, a teenager.

Others said the riders are safe riders who wear helmets, and the vehicles don't have to be loud. They can have quiet mufflers. A theme among all the speakers was that riding these vehicles keeps the children busy and out of trouble.

Jack Wingate, a retired fisheries biologist, supported the ban because the recreational vehicles damage the areas where they are driven, creating soil erosion that fills streams and lakes faster than normal runoff, he said.

An ATV rider supported the ban in the city. Paul Polouides said people should take the vehicles where they're allowed. He added that he could see no benefit to the city to allow the use of ATVS.

All of the alderman supported having the ATV ban, and none of them offered changes to the proposed ordinance.

However, they offered suggestions for finding places to ride the ATVs.

The riders should talk to the Property Owners Association about providing a park for ATV riders to use, Alderman Doug Farner, acting mayor. Alderman Earl Berdine supported the idea.

Alderman Arline Hutchinson suggested the area by the gun range might be a good place for riding ATVs.

"You have the ability to have an ATV club," Alderman George Holmes said. He advised ATV riders to form a club and talk to the POA and Cooper Communities Inc.

The third reading of the ordinance will be held at the next City Council meeting at 6:30 p.m. May 25.

Source: http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/72944/

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Community Voices

“We’ve had success bringing illegal riders to justice by snapping photos of their ID stickers. The problem in California is that they’re too darn small to see from far away or at high speeds. While I’m normally not in favor of the government getting involved in things, requiring all ORVs to have a visible ID with a minimum size and standard location would make them an even better tool for property owners to identify trespassing riders. We should also look to Wyoming’s lead and make trespassing penalties clear so riders think twice before they head off designated trails and onto my land.”

- Mesonika Piecuch, private property owner, Kern County, CA