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Megan Blank The public hearing period has been extended for the proposed ATV ordinance in East Rockhill Township.
The supervisors have agreed to reconsider the proposed time restrictions, as well as the restrictions on operating the vehicle near livestock.
The ordinance currently states the ATVs may be ridden between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., and that the vehicles must maintain a distance of 500 feet from any type of livestock.
Several residents have voiced opposition to the ordinance.
"There are laws in place already that deal with noise," Steve Owen of Old Bethlehem Pike, said.
Owen also reported that in the past year and a half, only five ATV complaints were recorded by the Pennridge Regional Police, "four at the same address."
Regarding the livestock restrictions, "What about the owner who has been enjoying the ATVs for years, then gets a new neighbor who wants livestock? Who has to give up their rights?"
With the proposed time, Owen said that most people don't get home from work until 5 p.m., and now can't ride the ATVs.
Resident Anne Fenley said she agreed that the proposed times were too restrictive.
Gary Houston, of Old Bethlehem Pike, who owns several properties where the complained about ATV users are living, said he tried to handle the situation as best he could, even removing one tenant who rode without a muffler.
Chairman David Nyman said that those who follow the ordinance would not have to worry about the police.
"The police will not be out riding and looking for offenders," he said. "These five times would have been five times this could have been used."
"One of the problems applying to dust," township Solicitor Patrick Armstrong said, "is that it's subjective, it has to be interpreted by the police. This reading provides some avenues to control the dust."
Nyman added that the first offense is only a verbal warning, "an opportunity to solve the problem."
"It's about respecting your neighbors," Supervisor Gary Volovnik said. "I don't like this ordinance, but enough is enough. It's just gotten totally out of hand."
Supervisor John Cressman said another reason for the ATV ordinance was for the police's own clarity when enforcing the laws.
"We had to put something in place where the police can find parameters to pinpoint," he said.
Since the livestock restriction hadn't been previously discussed, Nyman said he wanted to reconsider those limits, as well as the proposed times for ATV usage.
The proposed ATV regulation ordinance was written following complaints made by several residents to the board regarding ATV usage near their properties, especially around Three Mile Lane.
The only direction given to the Pennridge Regional Police regarding the control of ATVs in East Rockhill is the nuisance ordinance for noise and dust, but a violation has to be witnessed in order to measure the noise.
The next meeting of the East Rockhill supervisors is Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. at the municipal office on Ridge Road. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Source: http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2009/08/03/news/srv0000005907791.txt |
