Possible good news for Vermont riders??
#1
01-23-2008, 01:04 PM
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Vermont
Posts: 181
Possible good news for Vermont riders??
I have my doubts that the town will actually approve this, but it's a start!
Bolton considers land transfer for motorcycles
By Matt Sutkoski
Free Press Staff Writer
January 23, 2008
BOLTON -- A grassy 16 acres near the Winooski River might become home to an off-road motorcycle group, if town voters agree to sell the land for $1.
Bolton resident Ray Atwood initiated efforts to obtain the land. Vermont has few areas for families to enjoy off-road motorcycling, and the land could be a refuge for the off-road bikers to legally pursue their hobby, said Atwood, a former Bolton Selectboard member who said he is seeking the office again this year.
The Sarah Holbrook Community Center gave the land to the town in 1996 and it has sat vacant ever since. The parcel is between railroad tracks and the Winooski River south of U.S. 2 near the intersection of Notch Road.
Bolton Selectboard Chairman John Devine said transferring the land to the motorcycle enthusiasts merits discussion. "His proposal was worth considering so we put the ball in motion to maybe transfer the land to them and see what we could do with it," Devine said.
A group called the Cycle Conservation Club of Vermont wants to buy the land. The club is an umbrella organization for the Vermont Jeep Association, the Vermont All-Terrain Vehicle Sportsman's Association and other Vermont off-highway vehicle groups. The organizations are trying to open up land across Vermont for off-road vehicle uses, such as dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles. The Bolton parcel could become one such recreational area.
"It would be a true multi-use park for hikers, bikers, fishing access, and it would incorporate motorized use. We would like to be able to teach kids and families, mostly beginners, safe motorcycle skills," said Doug Weber, a member of the Cycle Conservation Club who is managing the potential Bolton land acquisition.
No large events or races would be held on the land because the parcel is too small to accommodate the activity, Weber said.
Members of the Cycle Conservation Club are unsure whether they want to acquire the land. "We need to do a resource review on the site, to see if it's practical for us to use. There may be some wetlands," Weber said.
The possible property transfer has raised questions in Bolton as to whether the deal has had a sufficient public vetting
A document dated Dec. 20 called a notice of sale of municipal real estate announced the possible deal. The document indicated the transfer would go through within 30 days of the document's release unless a petition to halt the transaction was presented by residents.
Bolton Conservation Commission Chairman Tom Longstreth said he was initially alarmed by the notice because it didn't seem to give residents a chance to learn about the transfer and comment on it. Devine said it was always the intention to run the proposal by town residents before proceeding. The notice of sale was a legal formality to launch a process leading to a residents' petition that ends in a public hearing and vote on the matter.
State statutes regarding municipal land sales lay out a process identical to the one the Bolton Selectboard followed when it proposed transferring the land to the cycle organization. However, the same Vermont law also allows selectboards to simply announce that voters would decide whether a land sale should occur at a special or annual town meeting.
Longstreth said he wonders why the town didn't just put the question on the town meeting ballot in the first place instead of taking the route it did.
"We still think it was the wrong way to go about it," he said.
A public hearing on the proposed sale has been scheduled for Feb. 4, and the question is to be put to Bolton voters on Town Meeting Day in March.
Longstreth said he and other members of the Conservation Commission have many concerns about the potential sale. -- such as why the land is selling for only $1.
Devine said such a deal would allow the town to take back the land if the Cycle Conservation Club's plans fall through.
Longstreth says he's not saying he's firmly against the proposal, but wants more information. "I'm not opposed to considering this land," he said. "I also have a lot of questions about it."
Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or msutkosk@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
Bolton considers land transfer for motorcycles
By Matt Sutkoski
Free Press Staff Writer
January 23, 2008
BOLTON -- A grassy 16 acres near the Winooski River might become home to an off-road motorcycle group, if town voters agree to sell the land for $1.
Bolton resident Ray Atwood initiated efforts to obtain the land. Vermont has few areas for families to enjoy off-road motorcycling, and the land could be a refuge for the off-road bikers to legally pursue their hobby, said Atwood, a former Bolton Selectboard member who said he is seeking the office again this year.
The Sarah Holbrook Community Center gave the land to the town in 1996 and it has sat vacant ever since. The parcel is between railroad tracks and the Winooski River south of U.S. 2 near the intersection of Notch Road.
Bolton Selectboard Chairman John Devine said transferring the land to the motorcycle enthusiasts merits discussion. "His proposal was worth considering so we put the ball in motion to maybe transfer the land to them and see what we could do with it," Devine said.
A group called the Cycle Conservation Club of Vermont wants to buy the land. The club is an umbrella organization for the Vermont Jeep Association, the Vermont All-Terrain Vehicle Sportsman's Association and other Vermont off-highway vehicle groups. The organizations are trying to open up land across Vermont for off-road vehicle uses, such as dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles. The Bolton parcel could become one such recreational area.
"It would be a true multi-use park for hikers, bikers, fishing access, and it would incorporate motorized use. We would like to be able to teach kids and families, mostly beginners, safe motorcycle skills," said Doug Weber, a member of the Cycle Conservation Club who is managing the potential Bolton land acquisition.
No large events or races would be held on the land because the parcel is too small to accommodate the activity, Weber said.
Members of the Cycle Conservation Club are unsure whether they want to acquire the land. "We need to do a resource review on the site, to see if it's practical for us to use. There may be some wetlands," Weber said.
The possible property transfer has raised questions in Bolton as to whether the deal has had a sufficient public vetting
A document dated Dec. 20 called a notice of sale of municipal real estate announced the possible deal. The document indicated the transfer would go through within 30 days of the document's release unless a petition to halt the transaction was presented by residents.
Bolton Conservation Commission Chairman Tom Longstreth said he was initially alarmed by the notice because it didn't seem to give residents a chance to learn about the transfer and comment on it. Devine said it was always the intention to run the proposal by town residents before proceeding. The notice of sale was a legal formality to launch a process leading to a residents' petition that ends in a public hearing and vote on the matter.
State statutes regarding municipal land sales lay out a process identical to the one the Bolton Selectboard followed when it proposed transferring the land to the cycle organization. However, the same Vermont law also allows selectboards to simply announce that voters would decide whether a land sale should occur at a special or annual town meeting.
Longstreth said he wonders why the town didn't just put the question on the town meeting ballot in the first place instead of taking the route it did.
"We still think it was the wrong way to go about it," he said.
A public hearing on the proposed sale has been scheduled for Feb. 4, and the question is to be put to Bolton voters on Town Meeting Day in March.
Longstreth said he and other members of the Conservation Commission have many concerns about the potential sale. -- such as why the land is selling for only $1.
Devine said such a deal would allow the town to take back the land if the Cycle Conservation Club's plans fall through.
Longstreth says he's not saying he's firmly against the proposal, but wants more information. "I'm not opposed to considering this land," he said. "I also have a lot of questions about it."
Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or msutkosk@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com
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