Ordinance would limit ATV use

Written by Bucks County Courier Times

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Annie Tasker

Proposed new rules are aimed at minimizing ATV-related noise complaints. But some supervisors think the policies are too restrictive.

Warrington officials are considering limiting ATV use to private properties two acres or larger.

An ordinance restricting ATV use has been in the works since last fall, when residents complained to township supervisors about the racket kicked up by the off-road vehicles. One resident complained about the noise from a neighbor's children circling their quarter-acre property on their ATV, but police had no rules in place to address the problem.

The most recently discussed regulations, designed to give township officials rules for enforcement, would restrict riders to properties of at least two acres. A one-hour break would be required for every two hours of operation, and township parks would be off-limits.

The board voted 3-2 this week to run legal advertisements on the ordinance; the next step generally includes a public hearing.

Supervisor Chairwoman Carol Butterworth said she hoped to pass the law before ATVs were stored away for the year and make changes as needed in the future.
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Mike Lamond, another supervisor, said the rules seemed too restrictive.

Questioning how many non-commercial properties in the township were two acres or larger, he said the ordinance could keep people who paid thousands of dollars for ATVs from using them as they wanted. He proposed exempting current owners from the new rules.

Restricting riders to two-acre or larger plots wouldn't necessarily target the main offenders, he said - those riding on other peoples' properties.

"You're going after the wrong people," Lamond said.

The ordinance is meant to provide enforceable rules for when complaints come in, Butterworth said.

If the neighbors aren't bothered, she said, then there's not an issue.

No one at the township wants to be "Big Brother" with this ordinance, planning and development director Mike Mrozinski said.

"We're trying to be fair with this thing," he said.

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Community Voices

“Farmers as a group rarely tend to want more government regulation. But the growing problem of trespassing caused by illegal riders spurred our membership into action to pass common-sense visible identification and ORV enforcement measures. We are proud that we were able to work with rider groups to find a solution that all sides could agree to.”

- Christopher Henney, Director of Legislative Relations, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation