Pima County wants to ban ATVs on private property

[woodsfj40]

I realize that this story out of today's Arizona Daily Star is about ATVs, but it is like many other things, the first step. Notice how they want to ban them on PRIVATE property.


County seeks residential ban on ATVs
By Tony Davis
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The Board of Supervisors will take on drivers of all-terrain vehicles with a proposed ban on firing them up on residentially zoned private property.

At the urging of board Chairwoman Sharon Bronson, the board unanimously agreed Tuesday to ask the County Planning Department to return in November with a formal proposed ban.

Bronson called the idea a "no-brainer," saying that such vehicles' air pollution, dust and noise make them clearly inappropriate for neighborhoods.

Complaints about such vehicles have proliferated all over the county, including the Picture Rocks, Avra Valley and Taylor Lane areas of her District 3, Bronson said.

The county's planning staff is already working on a separate ordinance banning dirt bikes and other two-wheelers from public roads and other rights of way, she said. The changes will target loopholes in existing county laws, Bronson said.

The president of a coalition representing off-roaders blasted the proposals as a "typical radical green Bronson idea of a totalitarian government, in order to halt any usage of mechanical tools or toys by the populace of Pima County."

"I would fully expect her next move would be to attempt to outlaw the ownership and holding of horses, cattle and sheep, that is, agricultural grade animals in residentially zoned areas," said Glynn Burkhardt of the Arizona Multiple Use Coalition. "What she is doing is invading residents' privacy."

Considering how many people own such machines, "I believe that you will find the number of complaints is very small," said Burkhardt, whose group numbers about 5,500 members.

Bronson said the purpose of her ATV proposal is to stop someone from operating a neighborhood, off-road vehicle racetrack.

"We're saying that you can't conduct a commercial activity in a residential area," she said. "I don't know why you would want to run an off-road vehicle on your property. Who wants an off-road vehicle track operating next door to you?"

Dirt bikes and four-wheelers are already banned on private property, and ATVs and four-wheelers are banned on public rights of way, Bronson said.

The link to the story is here, but it will only work for about a week. This paper changes it's links and makes it very difficult to read older stories online.

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/32836.php

[desertdude]

Dirt bikes and four-wheelers are already banned on private proper

this statement appears odd. Wondering what their definition of ATV's are?

[woodsfj40]

I was wondering the same thing. I have always considered "4 wheelers" as ATVs, but the story makes you think it is something different.

[woody]

Originally Posted by scottsfj40

I was wondering the same thing. I have always considered "4 wheelers" as ATVs, but the story makes you think it is something different.

I've always found that the government does a pathetic job of effectively describing ATV's and 4wd trucks as separate entities. And interestingly, even more greenies tend to lump them into one group as well. One of many "educational" fights I had during the many Forest Service planning meetings I sat thru...

[desertdude]

...and the media will always spin the story.

[Hltoppr]

Coconino County is looking at doing the same thing, as a few people, in areas zoned for RESIDENTIAL use (not even mixed Residential/Light Industrial) have started creating dirt bike/atv tracks in their back yards...

Sorry ya'll, but this practically defines the definition of "Nuisance." I can only hope I never live next door to someone who believes that this isn't just rude to do to your neighbors.

I understand the "But this is MY Land" (Imagine my best Deliverance drawl saying that.)argument; however, this one goes out to: Don't be a D!*K to others around you and build a friggin' motocross/atv track in your back yard in a residential area!


-H-

[hj60]

I do not believe there needs to be a new law enacted in order to better enforce an existing
law.
Aren't there existing noise and disturbing the peace statutes in these locations? Wouldn't
the public good be better served by updating the penalties for violating those statutes for
the 21st century than wholesale banning of a form of recreation?
To me, this is just another example of government being too lazy to actually try and solve a
problem rather than just masking the symptom.
90% of ATV owners likely only fire up their ATVs at home before trailering them out to an
OHV arear to make sure they still work. Do you want these people to be fined or imprisoned
for that, too?
And it would be at the arresting officer's discretion what constitutes an "all terrain vehicle" if
no specific definition is included. So you're out back tuning up your Cruiser and your
neighbor doesn't like you, so now you get a fine or jail time for violating this new ban on
starting up an ATV in a residential area.

[johnny4ever]

Ok so one county in Arizona is mentioned here. The entire story is from which newspaper??
Arizona Daily Star? Is that like the INQUIRER???

Read the first sentence: "The Board of Supervisors will take on drivers of all-terrain vehicles with a proposed ban on firing them up on residentially zoned private property. "

Think about it. These things are not subject to emissions tests and SHOULD be banned from use anywhere near where people live especially "Residentially Owned Private Property".
Why would anyone want those things loudly farting all over the RESIDENTIAL hood?

?

[woodsfj40]

While some might think that the Arizona Daily Star is something along the lines of the tabloids out there, it is actually our daily morning paper.

I realize that you are not familiar with the areas mentioned in the article, but the ones listed are rural areas where many of the properties sit on many acres of land. If I own 100 acres that my house is on (I only wish) and my nearest neighbor is a long ways off, why shouldn't I be able to run my ATV on MY OWN PROPERTY.

I have done a little more research on this, and they are going to leave the definition of ATV very vague on this one. They already have bans on dirtbikes and 3 and 4 wheelers which most of us consider ATVs. An insider with the county, I used to sit on a political commission, who I used to work with a lot has told me that they want this new ordiance so that they can go after EVERYTHING as a "pile on" citation if they come out. This does mean about any 4 wheel drive vehicle.

I could understand it if it was happening in the middle of an urban area, but that it not what we are talking about here.

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by Hltoppr

Coconino County is looking at doing the same thing, as a few people, in areas zoned for RESIDENTIAL use (not even mixed Residential/Light Industrial) have started creating dirt bike/atv tracks in their back yards...

Sorry ya'll, but this practically defines the definition of "Nuisance." I can only hope I never live next door to someone who believes that this isn't just rude to do to your neighbors.

I understand the "But this is MY Land" (Imagine my best Deliverance drawl saying that.)argument; however, this one goes out to: Don't be a D!*K to others around you and build a friggin' motocross/atv track in your back yard in a residential area!


-H-

AMEN. ATVs are operated by kids as young as 8 years old on Forest Service roads (read public) all over the West. When in Idaho's Selway in July, our camp was constantly covered in dust from kids racing ATVs up and down the roads.

There ARE lots of legitimate uses for ATVs, but it seems that common courtesy and good sense are things of the past - so people ask for laws to regulate behavior that, in other times, might have been controlled by ethical decisions and courtesy.

I think that some form of control is inevitable. Too bad that it's necessry.

Mike S

[haystax]

Private property is still private property. You paid the high price to own that land, you should be able to do what you want. It is ignorant to purposely piss off your neighbors, but it is also ignorant for them to tell you what to do as well. The article seems to infer that commercial activity is taking place, are neighborhoods sponsoring a motocross race? What is commercial about using the property you paid your hard earned dollars for the right to do what you want to do. Any legislation should not be retroactive in this area, it is okay to stipulate future restricitions but anything this broad effectively lesssens the value of the existing property. Any group attack on personal property is bad news, once precedents are set there is a huge battle to overturn them. I would be very careful about telling someone what to do and then expecting them not to do the same thing right back.

[mloudy]

From one side of my property I get dogs barking every time I step out the door and all through the night on and off. Their kid rides either a dirt bike or ATV until 10pm. Their cats crap in my yard on a daily basis and their septic drains into my creek-Smells really nice. Just because there are laws about noise and septic freely flowing across my property do you think I can get anything done? I put up with it for 5 years and now I have been trying for 5 years with little results. On the other side I get bullets buzzing through my property. They like to shoot up until 11pm and cann't seem to remember that my land it at the same level at the tops of their trees-so when they shoot at a squirrel in the top of their tree and miss it flies about a foot over my head when it reaches my house.
I do think we should be able to tell people what to do on their own property when it effects our peace of mind, health and safety.

[TJDIV]

Originally Posted by mloudy

From one side of my property I get dogs barking every time I step out the door and all through the night on and off. Their kid rides either a dirt bike or ATV until 10pm. Their cats crap in my yard on a daily basis and their septic drains into my creek-Smells really nice. Just because there are laws about noise and septic freely flowing across my property do you think I can get anything done? I put up with it for 5 years and now I have been trying for 5 years with little results. On the other side I get bullets buzzing through my property. They like to shoot up until 11pm and cann't seem to remember that my land it at the same level at the tops of their trees-so when they shoot at a squirrel in the top of their tree and miss it flies about a foot over my head when it reaches my house.
I do think we should be able to tell people what to do on their own property when it effects our peace of mind, health and safety.

Whoa. Wild West solution-o-meter.....rent a Uhaul and skidaddle.

(i realize this prolly ain't gonna happen)....

[mloudy]

Originally Posted by TJDIV

Whoa. Wild West solution-o-meter.....rent a Uhaul and skidaddle.

(i realize this prolly ain't gonna happen)....

The Kids are all 16-18 so it will likely end within a few years. The septic problem won't end with them leaving though. I did find Ohio EPA septic regulations on-line and they are in violation because their septic actually runs on the surface of the ground before it reaches the creek. I think this document should help my local health dept understand the problem better. If not I will go to the EPA.

It is nice that I can't see their crappy property in the summer because the woods fill in nicely. I planted evergreens last year to take care of the winter view.

[albee]

What about snow machines. Sounds like they are picking off one group at a time. Getting all of the groups together could stop them.