NEWPORT — City officials signaled support Monday for a proposal to allow all-terrain vehicles to travel on roads throughout downtown, joining a regionwide trend in the Northeast Kingdom.
“I am convinced that it will help the businesses,” Newport Mayor Paul Monette said. “I really do think that this is a great idea to try for a year.”
The City Council that night heard a presentation from Scott Jenness, president of the Orleans-based Borderline Ridge Riders ATV club, who made the case that bringing ATV riders into the city would be a boon to its economy.
“We would like to help bring a revitalization into the city, bring revenue back into the city,” Jenness said. “This might not be the whole puzzle, but we could be a huge piece of the puzzle.”
The proposal, which includes a draft ordinance, seeks to open up several roadways in the town starting next spring, including:
- The stretch of Main Street (the city’s main artery) from the intersection with 3rd Street east to the intersection with U.S. Route 5;
- All of Coventry Street from the state Fish and Wildlife Department building over to the intersection with Main Street;
- The entirety of Glen Road, south to Coventry;
- A portion of Western Avenue running from the intersection with Railroad Square up to the Cumberland Farms on Route 5;
- The length of Route 5 from the intersection with Main Street north to Union Street, and then up to the city’s public works building;
- And the span of Highland Avenue from the intersection with Lane Road to Pleasant and then 3rd streets, then up to the intersection with Main Street.
“I’d like to see them lined up all down Main Street, patronizing all your businesses here in the city,” Jenness said.
As he spoke, he flipped through a slideshow of photos featuring ATV riders parked at establishments in Vermont and New Hampshire, where the vehicles have become a significant feature in local economies.
His club would like to host an ATV festival in the city, too, he said.
The club is expected to finish the year with 800 total members, up from about 250 a few years ago, Jenness said. It’s part of the Vermont ATV Sportsman’s Association, a statewide group that manages trails networks throughout the state and has been involved in efforts to expand ATV access to roads.
Seven of the organization’s 20 local clubs operate within the Northeast Kingdom, where several communities have already allowed ATV traffic on municipal roads and or have considered doing so.
Newport, the region’s only city, is the largest Kingdom municipality this year to examine the question. Dozens of citizens turned out for the meeting, apparently just to hear the ATV presentation — most of them left after the discussion finished.
City Manager Laura Dolgin said that she, the mayor and city department heads had met with Jenness about a month ago to talk about the idea and look at which roads would be the most beneficial and least intrusive.
“One of the other things that was appealing to us, of course, is our initiative around the outdoor recreation economy,” Dolgin said. “We’ve put a major emphasis in (grant applications and city plans) to take advantage of our natural resources.”
Becoming a destination for ATV riders would fit within that mission, she said.
The draft ordinance says that ATVs must follow the posted speed limits in the city and travel single file. Riders must have a valid driver’s license, wear an approved helmet (unless riding with a seatbelt) and register their vehicles with the state and have liability insurances.
The proposed document, distributed at Monday’s meeting, doesn’t specify time restrictions for operating ATVs on city roads, but Jenness said he and city leaders had been considering a timeframe of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The law would be enforced by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department and the state Fish and Wildlife Department, which both contract with the statewide ATV organization. Jeness said as well that signs would be posted in places where ATVs aren’t allowed.
Newport Police Lt. Travis Bingham said that the city department could also provide enforcement, if needed, because all the routes are accessible to cruisers. Bingham said the department fully backed the proposal.
Council member Dan Ross offered outright support of the idea, calling it excellent. Other council members, while not expressing opposition to the proposal, asked questions of Jenness about its rollout.
“I’m not an ATVer, obviously, and I don’t know what the noise level is,” Council President Julie Raboin said, asking Jenness about feedback from other communities where similar measures have been passed. “I would be concerned about going through residential neighborhoods.”
Jenness replied that the vehicles are quieter than motorcycles and no louder than typical traffic.
Council member Melissa Pettersson asked if riders are mostly local folks or if people from out of town would also come into the city. Jenness said most of his club’s members are local but he wants to attract others, too.
“Bring that fresh revenue in from the outside,” he said. “We can only pass along that local dollar so long before it gets stale.”
A handful of the attendees spoke about the proposal, all in favor of expanding ATV access.
Monette, the mayor, said the council would look to vote on the ordinance on Oct. 21.
If it’s passed, the law would go into effect 60 days later, he said, giving plenty of time for a rollout before the ATV club’s season begins on May 15.
