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| 11/30/2007 11:30:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Minocqua board approves ATV ordinance
Limited winter use passes for portions of downtown, Bo-di-Lac
On a relatively quiet night at the Minocqua Center Tuesday, the town board of supervisors formalized an ordinance allowing winter all-terrain vehicle use on some town roads, including portions of selected streets on the Island and on Bo-di-Lac Drive south of, but not including, Bakely Circle.
It was "relatively" quiet but not completely so. Another modest gathering showed up to rehash pro-ATV and anti-ATV sentiments. That they did, with arguments ranging from safety concerns and environmental damage on one side to fairness and equal treatment on the other.
One new complaint issuing from the audience - which ultimately provided the evening's only flashpoint - came from Sandra Entringer, who accused some town officials of manipulating a Bo-di-Lac property owners' survey by saying that 60 percent had favored winter use of Bo-di-Lac Drive.
In fact, Entringer said, only 46 percent favored the winter-use concept, with 54 percent opposed; the other 14 percent favored the use of Bo-di-Lac only for board-approved special events. Adding the 14 percent to the 46 percent to get 60 percent for winter use "twists the intent" of the property owners, she said.
"Is Dec. 15 through March 15 a special event?" Entringer asked. "Why go through the expense to send out a survey and collate the results when the results are ignored? You've been elected to represent us, not special interests. Do what the majority elected you to do."
Entringer based her accusations, she said, on quotes attributed to supervisors in The Lakeland Times.
Handrick objects
Town chairman Joe Handrick disputed that supervisors had made any such remarks, and, in fact, no town official is quoted in the cited article as saying that a majority of Bo-di-Lac property owners favored winter use of the road. Sue Heil is quoted as saying "people" favor "some" type of winter use, though she did not say a majority and did not specify what type of use.
At Tuesday's meeting, Heil reiterated that she had said "some" type of use.
At one point, Handrick became agitated with what he perceived to be disbelief on Entringer's part.
"What is that look on your face?" he asked. "Are you calling me a liar?"
"What look?" Entringer shot back.
After that, with Handrick saying he must have "misinterpreted" Entringer's facial expression, the heat died down, and supervisors repeated familiar arguments. Most of it boiled down to access, primarily for residents to get to lakes for ice fishing, and to giving the substantial number of people who wanted winter use of Bo-di-Lac Drive - whether 46 percent or 60 percent - an opportunity to prove their arguments.
"To the people who are really opposed to this, I think what's happening is that people who want this are getting a shot," supervisor John Thompson said. "If there's a problem, it's done. It expires in March and it doesn't just restart. It would have to be approved by the board. If there are a rash of complaints that can be verified, it's done."
All about getting to the lakes
Heil stressed access.
"We're not opening up Bo-di-Lac to ATVing," she said. "We are opening up a portion of it for access to the lakes. I am opposed to ATVing, but I am not opposed to letting a neighbor have access to get to the lake."
Heil said she did have some concern about signage. State statutes do mandate the marking of ATV routes, but that could be problematic, she said.
"I don't want ATV route signs put up, because it's not an ATV route," she said. "It's for access."
Handrick said her concern would be addressed, then noted that he lived next to a downtown boat landing ATVs would likely use.
"My gut is that I will not even notice the change, and my gut is - and I hope I'm right - that people in Bo-di-Lac won't even notice the change," he said. "I think we should give the 46 percent (of those supporting the winter-use concept) a chance."
Supervisor Mark Hartzheim again expressed mixed feelings.
"I have a lot of misgivings," Hartzheim said. "I'm not in favor of ATVs (on town roads), but I am in favor of giving this a chance - as a way to give people access for convenience, not as a recreational sport."
Different motives
Some ATV supporters have an agenda, Hartzheim said, and were looking for a "foothold" that would lead to a "greater network of ATV routes on town roads." But that, he said, was not the board's intent.
"We're looking at this as a capped, limited trial because if it presents problems or we find out we can't enforce it effectively, then it (won't continue)," he said.
Only supervisor Bryan Jennings was opposed to passing the ordinance, as he has been in the past.
"I think we're opening the door to ATVing, and it's not going to close," Jennings said. He complimented the gathered ATV supporters as "great people," but, he said, "by making an ordinance to make this acceptable, we are making an ordinance that's not going to go away."
Jennings also said he had property rights concerns.
"(I am concerned) for the people who bought property knowing that there weren't going to be any ATVs, or even snowmobiles, near or behind their homes," he said. "It goes back to property rights. They have a right not to have this forced upon them."
The final vote was 4-1 to pass the ordinance, with Jennings opposed.
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