California's Riverside County passes drastic restrictions on off-road vehicles on private land.
The Board of Supervisors in Riverside County, California, has approved drastic restrictions on the use of off-road vehicles on private land, ignoring pleas from families who ride and setting aside compromise legislation recommended by the Board's own planning commission.
The Board also approved new sound ordinances that are so strict a homeowner could be in violation if he operated an electric toothbrush at his property line, in some locations.
Under the new laws approved by the Board on March 28, off-highway riders can only ride from noon to 5 p.m. on their own property in the unincorporated parts of Riverside County.
Landowners can only allow one off-highway vehicle to be in use for every 10 acres of land, with a maximum of four vehicles allowed. Landowners can have more vehicles in use than allowed if they have the written permission of their neighbors. But to have more than four OHVs using the property, a landowner must get a conditional use permit that could cost up to $10,000.
Plus, under the new law, riders must stay 100 feet from property lines and 250 feet from neighboring homes.
The Board of Supervisors also gave final approval to a new sound law that sets maximum allowable sound levels at the property line at 45, 55 or 75 decibels, depending on the zoning of the parcel.
According to the League for the Hard of Hearing, rainfall generates 50 decibels of sound, a normal conversation is 60 decibels, an electric toothbrush is 50 to 60 decibels, and an air conditioner measures at 50 to 75 decibels.
While the sound law doesn't specifically target off-highway motorcycles and ATVs, it was written in part as a result of noise complaints about off-highway vehicle riders, and also to address loud music at private parties.
Riverside County is the home and practice ground of racing heroes like Jeremy McGrath, Rick Johnson and Jeff Emig. Also, Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki and Kawasaki have test facilities there. And the county is home to almost 30 OHV-related businesses, plus 48,000 registered OHVs.
OHV enthusiasts in neighboring counties should be concerned because officials in those counties have been closely following the developments in Riverside County. If those counties impose similar restrictions on OHVs it could have enormous implications, since there are more than 150,000 registered OHVs in the neighboring counties of San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego.
Plus, the U.S. Forest Service is proposing new restrictions in San Bernardino County related to OHVs riding on private property, emitting fumes, and noise, which could result in fines of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
The Board of Supervisors approved the new restrictions and ignored carefully crafted compromise legislation hammered out over a period of months by the AMA and other off-road groups working with the county's Planning Commission.
© 2006, American Motorcyclist Association
The Board of Supervisors in Riverside County, California, has approved drastic restrictions on the use of off-road vehicles on private land, ignoring pleas from families who ride and setting aside compromise legislation recommended by the Board's own planning commission.
The Board also approved new sound ordinances that are so strict a homeowner could be in violation if he operated an electric toothbrush at his property line, in some locations.
Under the new laws approved by the Board on March 28, off-highway riders can only ride from noon to 5 p.m. on their own property in the unincorporated parts of Riverside County.
Landowners can only allow one off-highway vehicle to be in use for every 10 acres of land, with a maximum of four vehicles allowed. Landowners can have more vehicles in use than allowed if they have the written permission of their neighbors. But to have more than four OHVs using the property, a landowner must get a conditional use permit that could cost up to $10,000.
Plus, under the new law, riders must stay 100 feet from property lines and 250 feet from neighboring homes.
The Board of Supervisors also gave final approval to a new sound law that sets maximum allowable sound levels at the property line at 45, 55 or 75 decibels, depending on the zoning of the parcel.
According to the League for the Hard of Hearing, rainfall generates 50 decibels of sound, a normal conversation is 60 decibels, an electric toothbrush is 50 to 60 decibels, and an air conditioner measures at 50 to 75 decibels.
While the sound law doesn't specifically target off-highway motorcycles and ATVs, it was written in part as a result of noise complaints about off-highway vehicle riders, and also to address loud music at private parties.
Riverside County is the home and practice ground of racing heroes like Jeremy McGrath, Rick Johnson and Jeff Emig. Also, Honda, Yamaha, KTM, Suzuki and Kawasaki have test facilities there. And the county is home to almost 30 OHV-related businesses, plus 48,000 registered OHVs.
OHV enthusiasts in neighboring counties should be concerned because officials in those counties have been closely following the developments in Riverside County. If those counties impose similar restrictions on OHVs it could have enormous implications, since there are more than 150,000 registered OHVs in the neighboring counties of San Bernardino, Orange and San Diego.
Plus, the U.S. Forest Service is proposing new restrictions in San Bernardino County related to OHVs riding on private property, emitting fumes, and noise, which could result in fines of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail.
The Board of Supervisors approved the new restrictions and ignored carefully crafted compromise legislation hammered out over a period of months by the AMA and other off-road groups working with the county's Planning Commission.
© 2006, American Motorcyclist Association
