Off-road rule could be history

Stacy Moore

SAN BERNARDINO — The county’s permit requirement for some off-highway vehicle activities may come to an end Tuesday, when the Board of Supervisors presides over a public hearing at 2:30 p.m. at the County Government Center.

Led by 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt and 3rd District Supervisor Neil Derry, the board is expected to look at scrapping the part of the ordinance requiring that 10 or more people gathering to go off-roading on private property must obtain a $155 permit.

Mitzelfelt’s chief of staff, David Zook, told The Desert Trail newspaper this week that a wide variety of actions by the supervisors could take place Tuesday, from deciding to hold off on a public hearing until they can do more research to opting to end the permit requirement.

However, in a January interview with the Hi-Desert Star, Zook said staff working on the ordinance had drafted a new portion of the ordinance that eliminates the staging permit, but prohibits camping for OHV activities on property less than 2.5 acres or for more than six consecutive days every 30 days.

One of Mitzelfelt’s field representatives, Robert Elan, sent the proposal to the off-roading group Friends of Giant Rock, which issued a statement of approval.

“We’re kind of grumbling about the six days; we’d like to see that number be nine,” Ray Pessa, president of Friends of Giant Rock, said.

“The main thing is the supervisors agree the staging permit isn’t solving any problems,” he added.

People traveling to San Bernardino to speak on the subject should plan to arrive early and fill out comment cards.

Zook said high attendance is expected, as discussion of Ordinance 3973 always engenders a lot of public interest.

In fact, the board plans to consider all other items on next week’s agenda during the regularly scheduled 10 a.m. public session because the off-highway vehicle ordinance is expected to attract such a number of public speakers.

Over 100 people from the Morongo Basin are expected to travel to San Bernardino to be a part of the meeting.

Community ORV Watch issued an “action alert,” urging supporters of the staging permit to attend Tuesday’s meeting and ask the supervisors to let the ordinance stand unchanged.

Spokesman Phil Klasky has said the staging permit is an essential part of the off-roading ordinance.

Steering committee member Brahm Elmendorp plans to be at Tuesday’s hearing; he says the requirement for permits has helped prevent large, uncontrolled off-roading events.

“The ordinance works perfectly as it is,” Elmendorp said.

He hopes to see many people at Tuesday’s meeting to speak about the ordinance.

“The more people the better, from both sides, so we can discuss it,” he said.

Pessa will be there too, and expects to see a large contingent of off-roaders and their supporters, as he did the last time the ordinance was discussed before the supervisors.

“We had 150 last time and I hope to get at least the same amount,” he said.

“The difference is we’re there supporting the supervisors this time, which is a good thing.”

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Source: http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2010/03/20/news/doc4ba4794978eed068956318.txt

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