Town approves ATV/UTV ordinance

After more than a year of debate, some of which got so ugly that Belgium Town Chairman Tom Winker said he was embarrassed, with crowds packing the Town Hall and Community Park, a three-page all-terrain vehicle and utility terrain vehicle ordinance has been approved.

“I think we’ve hashed this out about as much as we need to hash it out,” Winker said at the start of Monday’s public hearing, which is required for ordinances.

A few residents still had questions. One wanted the contact information for the Lakeshore ATV/UTV Club for complaints, and another wondered if the ordinance addresses business use such as Door Dash. That wasn’t discussed, Zoning Administrator Charlie Parks said.

The number of riders allowed in one group at a time, such as a parade permit, isn’t addressed in the ordinance either.

A question about speed limits raised one of the elements of the ordinance that might be misunderstood, Supr. Bill Janeshek said.

The vehicles are limited to state and county roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph. They may not travel on any county trunk highways with speed limits higher than 35 mph.

“That’s the confusing part for the person who doesn’t understand the highways,” Janeshek said.

Some of the rules — 17 are listed in one section — in the ATV/UTV ordinance are:

• The vehicles may run from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• They are limited to areas west of Lake Church, Clay Ridge and Six Mile roads, as well as Silver Beach Road between Lake Church and Clay Ridge roads and Jay Road between Clay Ridge and Six Mile roads.

While it was approved, 3-0, by the Town Board, the ordinance doesn’t take effect until the club puts up signs, including ones restricting the vehicles. Every private road by the lake, as people come off a county or town road, Winker said, will have a sign saying no ATVs or UTVs allowed.

“That’s something that we felt very strongly about,” he said.

Winker also expressed his dismay at the conduct during debates over the ordinance.

“I will tell you I have been embarrassed by how you guys treat one another because you disagree with one another. I have been trying to get us to be all friends and neighbors and try to get along. We can agree to disagree but we certainly need to do it very cordially,” he said.

“From this meeting forward, I’m going to limit discussion. You will always be allowed citizen input, but this bickering back and forth, screaming and yelling, raising your voice at me, putting people down, we’re not going to allow that.”

The ordinance drew 80 people to a presentation by the Lakeshore ATV/UTV Club in August 2020 and 60 people to the Town Hall in July when the board approved allowing the vehicles, days after the Plan Commission voted 5-4 to allow them.

After Town Board approval, the ordinance went to the Plan Commission for wording. Town Attorney Paul Alexy looked it over before the Commission last month sent it to the Town Board with a positive recommendation on a 7-1 vote.

While Lakeshore ATV/UTV Club members said they want to use the vehicles to visit family or neighbors or get ice cream cones, opponents cited various safety issues and noise pollution in arguments against the ordinance.

The ordinance will be reviewed annually, but that isn’t mentioned in the document because the town is supposed to review all ordinances each year. Parks said unless there are complaints, most don’t get addressed.