It’s Spring And The Buzzing Begins

This weekend we put March behind us, engage in a little April foolishness, and set the clocks ahead an hour, which seems to be the perfect prescription to break our cabin fever once and for all. It is time for us all to get out and share the curative powers of the great outdoors. Unfortunately, for some people in certain neighborhoods, that buzzing you hear outside is not the bees foraging early blossoms — it is all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and dirt bikes making tracks. And too often, they are doing so on private property without permission.

In response to persistent complaints about ATVs illegally using the D’Addario sand and gravel mine on Button Shop Road, the Newtown Police this week promised a crackdown on the noisy trespassers. If past efforts by the police to address the problem are any guide, however, the culprits will get away, disappearing into the terrain all pumped up for a return visit by the illicit thrill of their escape. Crackdowns come and go, but the problem remains. The frustration of neighbors facing another nerve-wracking summer of listening to the constant din of racing engines is sure to rise with the temperature.

Some new strategies for addressing this old problem are needed. Rather than starting from scratch, however, it might be useful to reconsider some of the ideas that came out of this same debate when it last crested a year and a half ago when the Legislative Council passed an ordinance restricting the use of ATVs on town-owned property.

First, the legitimate rights of ATV and dirt bike owners need to be recognized and respected. It is legal for those who enjoy off-road riding to pursue this popular sport on their own property or on private property where they have permission to ride. Most people who ride ATVs with their families and friends do follow state and local laws regarding their use and are respectful of the needs of others not to be awakened early or kept up late by the sound of their engines. (If you are interested in joining a responsible group of riders, visit the website of the Newtown Off-Highway Vehicle Association at www.nohva.org.) The town should also be alert to land acquisition opportunities that would accommodate this sport in areas where others are not likely to be disturbed.

Private property owners where most of the trespassing and ATV abuse occurs should be encouraged to work with local police to secure and surveil their properties, bringing both public and private resources to bear on a problem that is not only an annoyance, but presents public safety hazards and significant liabilities to property owners. The enforcement should be consistent, persistent, and probably stealthier than it has in the past. Law-abiding riders should also cooperate with police and property owners to help eliminate the trespassing, environmental damage, and unsafe and inconsiderate practices that are giving their sport a bad name.

We are all looking forward to good times this summer. Let’s make sure that everyone gets to share in those good times by recognizing the dual nature of these noisy, high-speed joy rides through our local terrain — summer fun, some are not.