FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — The Fort Fairfield Town Council approved a new all terrain vehicle access route and is moving ahead with consideration of a fireworks ordinance.
The Fort Fairfield Town Council voted unanimously Wed, March 21, to approve a 0.9 mile stretch of Forest Avenue as an ATV access route that can be used to access the town’s trail system.
The access route was developed with members of the Fort Frontier ATV Club, who met with town manager Jim Risner and town staff to discuss several options.
Currently, the town has one park and ride location to access ATV trails and under state law, registered ATV users cannot travel more than 300 yards on a public way to access an ATV trail unless the public way is designated for such use.
Risner said that the town staff supported the Forest Avenue option, but not the other three that were proposed by the ATV Club due to the potential for roadway safety problems with pedestrians.
Before voting, councillors discussed the route options and logistics of riding an ATV in Fort Fairfield.
Councillors Bob Kilcollins and Melissa Libby said they thought that as long as the ATV riders are driving at a reasonable speed, they could use other streets as access routes. All of the councillors ended up agreeing to the Forest Avenue access route as a solution
The Fort Fairfield Town Council also moved ahead with approving a fireworks ordinance for a public hearing and possible vote next month.
Risner said the town has received numerous complaints about fireworks since consumer fireworks were legalized in the state in 2012.
“Fort Fairfield has many veterans living here and the discharging of fireworks can be an arduous time for some of them,” Risner said. “Residents have also complained about the amount of stress the noise from discharging fireworks has caused for their animals.”
The proposed ordinance would set certain days and times when residents can use fireworks, as well as require individuals to obtain a permit before hand, which would not come with a fee.
The town will hold a hearing on the proposed ordinance at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 5.
