ROYALTON — Voters in Royalton will decide at Town Meeting on March 1 whether or not to allow ATVs on portions of town highways.
“We’re just looking to get a way to connect communities,” said Ian MacKenzie, a former member of the Royalton recreation committee who leads the Cascadnac Valley Wheelers.
The Wheelers have requested access to town roads that would connect the border of Tunbridge to the border with Barnard. This would be one step toward connecting the Westshire ATV Club’s trails in West Fairlee and Vershire with the Vermont Quad Runners’ trails in Barnard, Bridgewater, Stockbridge and Killington. Both ATVs, which typically accommodate a single rider, and UTVs, side-by-sides that fit multiple passengers, would use the club’s trails.
MacKenzie will be presenting at the virtual information session on Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m., ahead of Town Meeting on March 1.
The Wheelers envision an interconnected trail system, predominantly on private land. MacKenzie said that seven landowners in Royalton have already agreed to open their land to ATVs. Over time, the Wheelers hope that at least 50% of the club’s trails will be class 4 roads or private trails. Class 4 roads are not maintained by towns but remain public rights of way; ATV drivers already have access to them.
The ordinance pertains to traveled town highways that Royalton maintains and regulates. The exact rules around ATVs on town highways would be up for public discussion if voters pass the article at Town Meeting.
MacKenzie sketched some preliminary regulations: He suggested that ATVs would be on the roads only from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., from May to October. The exact dates could be adjusted depending on seasonal road conditions. ATV drivers have to wear helmets, and the club plans to enforce a 20 mph speed limit across all of its trails. The club also would meet with the Selectboard annually to discuss any areas of reported abuse, he said.
Meanwhile, some residents don’t think that ATVs have any place on town highways.
“I worry about these small noisy vehicles roaring up and down our narrow back roads,”said John Dumville, who serves on the Selectboard. “People live on rural back roads because they like the quiet environment.”
Low to the ground and with few lights, they could be dangerous on roads with cars, he said, and the town only has a few police officers to patrol roads and enforce regulations such as speed limits.
Dumville argued the vehicles could damage the roads, especially if riders abuse them. The town would not have revenue from ATV users to cover any subsequent maintenance, he added. He noted that years ago he served on the Selectboard when it decided that ATVs had no place on town highways because of safety concerns.
MacKenzie said he wants to uproot the stigma around ATV use. He described the typical ATV user as family-focused and appreciative of nature — not someone who would tear up a trail.
The Royalton club is in the process of becoming associated with the Vermont ATV Sportsman’s Association, known as VASA. Membership would extend liability coverage up to $1 million. VASA membership would also give the club access to grants that could fund maintenance on any roads it used.
He also noted that ATV users could benefit the town’s economy because riders would patronize Royalton’s restaurants and stores.
As MacKenzie sees it, the Wheelers are asking for a trial period to prove themselves, and the ordinance could be thrown away in a year if residents dislike how it goes.
The Royalton Planning Commission unanimously opposes allowing ATVs on town highways. Stuart Levasseur, the commission chairman, summarized the commission’s concerns in the White River Valley Herald. His concerns — noise and unforeseen costs — paralleled many of Dumville’s. He also argues that the club is asking for “blanket use of town roads,” not just an isolated connector.
But for Chris Noble, chairman of the Selectboard, it’s a question of sharing the “national treasure” of Vermont’s outdoors. He said that working with a respectful, well-organized club like the Wheelers is preferable, especially when the beautiful scenery may draw ATV use whether or not an ordinance allows it.
“It’s in the spirit of making this treasure more accessible to everybody, you have to be pretty rugged to walk uphill a half mile,” he said. “It is the same as making town and public facilities more accessible — those are good trends in society.”
And last year when Royalton hosted the Pilgrimage, a large event for off-road vehicles, it went smoothly, he said.
“They were responsible. They were families,” he said. “They were good people and they spent money at our businesses. What’s not to like about that?”
No matter what, he said, Royalton would move slowly and get input from residents if the article passes and the town develops an ordinance.
Meanwhile, MacKenzie is also in touch with other towns. In Barnard, he presented to the Selectboard on Oct. 20 about access to portions of its town highways to build out the trail network for ATVs. The Selectboard would be “amenable” to approving MacKenzie’s plan if he returned with specific requests, according to the meeting minutes.
MacKenzie also has written a draft plan for ATV access on some of Tunbridge’s roads. He expressed interest in a trial period in town, according to the Selectboard’s Jan. 25 minutes. There would be no use near the village or the fairgrounds, Tunbridge Central School or recreation fields during the possible trial period, according to the plan he drafted.
Town Meeting in Tunbridge was postponed until May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gary Mullen, chairman of the Selectboard, was skeptical when he first heard about MacKenzie’s proposal. He thought the club wanted ATV access on all of Tunbridge’s town highways.
“Initially, it would only be two or three roads in town,” he said. “It’s going to be very regulated — their speed and times of day. I’m OK with it.”
For now, though, he said Tunbridge would keep a “measured pace” and wait to see what its neighboring towns decided.
Claire Potter is a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at cpotter@vnews.com or 603-727- 3242.