Much to our surprise, the possibility to approve the riding of all-terrain vehicles on public roads in Winfield Township was rejected by the supervisors last week.

Many of us have never ridden an ATV legally or illegally, on public land or private property. Prior to the vote, we read plenty of comments about all the reasons the people in favor of passing the new policy had for their position. One of the most prevalent was “we already do it anyway.” Umm, sorry, but that may have contributed to the final vote tally being against the policy.

Announcing that you already break the law doesn’t go far in convincing anyone that you will suddenly become law-abiding since you got your way. Taking into consideration the potential for property damage, noise pollution and traffic safety, not only from residents of the township, but also from those guests who would be attracted to the new opportunity to ride on the primary roads through the community, the last thing property owners wanted to hear was the suggestion that if it didn’t pass, it was going to be done regardless, only with the publicly stated opposition ignored and disrespected.

Our understanding is that it has passed in other rural areas somewhat similar to Winfield Township. We know one property owner who stated that his decision was made when a woman was quoted as saying she “intended to drive hers everywhere.” That would suggest not just in the remote areas nor for the purpose of getting just from one legal riding area to another, but also in what might be called the normal family driving areas.

It isn’t unusual for a new ordinance to take two or three votes to pass. It would be wise for the ATV advocates to get together and try to come up with a more community-friendly approach to the issue. Discuss and debate the reasons — pro and con — and approach it from a 100% legal proposal, rather than “it’s going to happen whether you approve it or not.”

The residents who voted against this proposal have an absolute right to do so. They bought property with the rules and laws in place that exist today. If you want to change the game, you need to do so properly. Maybe stronger regulations — such as age limits, insurance stipulations and assurances that it won’t lead to more abuse of private lands — would help.

The ATV proponents sound very much like NRA members. They are strongly opinionated and passionate about their rights. In Butler County, they speak loud and clear. They seldom advocate change. They protect what they have as every property owner should. This change may be a good one and acceptable, but by a vote of 2:1 your supervisors/neighbors have said not yet. We should all respect that.

— RV