opposition. Page 9 of 13 Meister had some of the same concerns. He traveled the route and noted it’s an extremely narrow road with no shoulder and no room to get out of the way. The first priority is to the residents of Chocolay and their quality of life, so he is opposed. Sikkema asked the DNR to clarify that this trail, being on long stretches of paved surfaces, would not be a State designated trail and thus would not be eligible for funding through the ORV trail improvement fund, and would not receive paid enforcement by the County Sheriff. Milton noted the confined space on Mangum Road, and felt adding ORVs would be a mistake. He can’t support an ORV trail on Mangum Road. Smith personally owns snowmobiles and is an active ORV user, and likes the idea of riding from his house to a trail. But as a Planning Commissioner he represents the Township. As a user, he just wants a place to ride, but doesn’t think people will trailer to a trail. He knows the people on Mangum Road probably have ATVs and probably use them respectfully to ride from house to house. However, there is overwhelming opposition to a through traffic route, and so he can’t support it. Heinzelman addressed the liability issue and gross negligence, and says the Township might open itself to liability because there is always a lawyer willing to take a gross negligence case. He also noted it is unclear what a pedestrian should do when approached by an ORV on the shoulder. The Commission will submit the alternate route plan to the DNR and Township Planner. Smith noted that from his experience, it takes time to work with the community and get trails open. He hopes this will open the discussion and more people will come forward with alternate routes. He appreciates all the work the club put into it. Mahaney is an avid cyclist using the roads that are included on this proposal, and he has safety concerns along Mangum Road, including disrepair and sharp turns. He sees problems with the mix of users and is concerned about quality of life and the non-motorized focus. He thinks they should listen to the residents of Chocolay. Heinzelman asked Woodward to verify the County Road Commission’s position on the proposed route along Cherry Creek Road. She said that even if the Township approved the ORV route on Cherry Creek Road, the Road Commission has said that they will use their authority to negate that decision. Commissioner Decision/Recommendation Moved by Milton, seconded by Mahaney, to recommend that the Township Board take no action on the T.E.A.M. proposal and maintain Chocolay Township’s exemption from the County ORV ordinance that authorizes ORV access on County roads. Vote: Ayes: 6 Nays: 1 (Stanaway) MOTION CARRIED There was a two minute break to accommodate those who wished to exit the meeting.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 05:02:36 +0000
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