ridership and to educate people. She also praised the hard work of others to get together, find out what people want, and to present the information and submit petitions. Harry had submitted a petition with 51 signatures (at least 35 residents of Chocolay Township) who want an ORV route through Chocolay Township. Staff advised Harry to submit a detailed plan for the route. Harry had informational meetings with various Township staff. The group does NOT propose opening all roads to ORV use, and does not support travel through neighborhoods to access the route. This is simply a connector route. The staff report details applicable legislation and regulations in surrounding jurisdictions. Basically, the County ordinance opened county roads in all jurisdictions to ORV travel except those in the townships of Chocolay, Marquette, and Sands and the cities of Negaunee, Ishpeming, and Marquette. The cities of Ishpeming and Negaunee adopted their own ordinances opening most of their roads to ORV travel. The staff report includes input from the County Road Commission and County Planning, and County Sheriff’s department. Police Chief Zyburt is also present to discuss his report. Woodward detailed the applicable sections of the Community Master Plan that support quiet, rural lifestyles and more non-motorized transportation opportunities. The only direct mention of ATVs is a vision statement that says, “Recreational riders enjoy their ATVs in designated areas with well enforced laws”. Woodward submitted setback and density calculations along the route for consideration. Chief Zyburt said he met with T.E.A.M. and they asked his opinion on the route. He thought the route they chose would be the safest, but he is concerned about ATVs and motor vehicles mixing on the road for that long distance, and also concerned about kids on ORVs. There will be a problem with people riding their ORVs from their residence to this route instead of trailering. The four man department is very busy and this will tax their ability for enforcement. He spoke with Mike Lovelace about his experience in other areas, and he has similar concerns. The police department does have an ORV. Statistics from the last five years show a total of 99 complaints (not a lot), with a majority on the portion of the snowmobile trail which is closed to all wheeled vehicles. There was one fatal accident, and others involve private property damage. Mahaney asked if they have been able to ticket violators. Chief Zyburt said the majority do get away. They are hard to catch and there is a risk of injury in a chase. They can usually identify locals because it’s ongoing and there may be a worn trail. Heinzelman asked if they do a directed patrol for ORVs. This is done on the snowmobile trail in the spring and summer. Sheriff Mike Lovelace commented on problems in other jurisdictions. Chocolay’s primary enforcement would be the local police department. The Sheriff would have deputies available for DNR designated trails. Sheriff Lovelace is opposed to ORVs on paved roads. He opposed the County ordinance along with the attorney and road commission. He is concerned about youth on ORVs who are not supervised by their parents and travel in packs down the middle of the road. He will not chase them because they will flee and lose control and get hurt. He says the tires are not Page 6 of 13 designed for travel on paved roads and they are not stable at high speeds. Even on roads that are not busy, the mix of traffic can create dangerous incompatibilities. There are not enough deputies to answer calls if there are problems. Public hearing – instructions were given Robert Taylor, 204 Jean St, owns the Adventure Center at the crossroads and promotes ORVs. He detailed the substantial income generated by ORVs for the State. He said there are more accidents on non-motorized units than motorized units. He prefers they not run down paved roads, but due to various obstacles, no other route has proven viable. The tire safety consideration is not applicable at the 25 mph speed limit. He also has a problem with unsupervised youth riders, but there are appropriate laws for this. He suggested approval on a test basis. Mary Jane Lynch, 316 Kawbawgam Road, appreciates the work of T.E.A.M., but asks that an economic study be done because she thinks the impact is not significant. She is in favor of a well-designated, well-maintained, and well-signed trail but not in favor of the connector route because she thinks it is not necessary. She thinks it’s wrong to prioritize ORV funds over safety and other people’s needs. Jennifer Tapolcai, 794 Mangum, said Mangum Road is peaceful, with young families, and four season non-motorized use – a strong community with strong friendships. She is concerned about ORV traffic on a small winding road with hills, especially in the winter. ORV traffic would have been a deal breaker for her when she was looking for a home in a quiet, peaceful area. Safety is a priority. Tom Russo, 910 Mangum Road, says Magnum is a busy, dangerous road. The DNR did not partner with the residents or get their input. Residents want to be in the partnership. The DNR needs to find an alternate route. TEAM means together everyone achieves more (his interpretation). Safety should not trump the quality of life for residents. He is concerned about safety, and increasing the amount of traffic is irresponsible. Don’t forget the residents of Mangum Road, they care. Deborah Mulcahey, 633 Lakewood Lane, congratulates ORV people who safely operate. This is not always the case. She is concerned about ORVs operating on dunes and the beach. ORVs are not listed as a Township priority. She asked that the hearing be cancelled so everyone is not wasting their time due to two primary reasons, 1) Road Commission not allowing the connector on Cherry Creek Road, 2) DNR not speaking uniformly about the Lake LeVasseur connection. The land managers didn’t know about the proposal until recently. There are serious accidents. Look from the user perspective of the land. The creation of the link will not solve the education problem. There will be no enforcement. Noise is an issue. There is a liability issue for the local club. She is opposed to the route. Carol Lamirand, 452 County Road 480, invites people to have a lemonade and view the traffic in front of her home. She is concerned about children on motorized vehicles and thinks it creates disaster in letting them share the road with big trucks. She also worries about the method of road repair using loose pebbles and lack of repair. She doesn’t want vehicles making a mess in front of her yard. Page 7 of 13 Dave
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 04:56:30 +0000
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