The Haines Borough Planning Commission decided last week Haines can’t accommodate a motorized ATV park in the townsite, with several commission members calling the idea “crazy.”
The assembly voted unanimously at its Jan. 14 meeting to direct the commission to identify areas near or within the townsite suitable for a motorized park. Assembly member George Campbell spearheaded the idea.
Commission chair Rob Goldberg characterized the move for a motorized park as “one person’s personal campaign” to achieve equality for motorized recreationists following the closure of a section of Chilkat River beaches to motorized use last fall.
“This is something George Campbell is pushing because the Chilkat River beaches were made non-motorized. He wants a reciprocal motorized area of comparable size turned into an off-road vehicle park,” Goldberg told the commission.
The assembly voted 4-2 in December to designate the stretch of beach running from River Road to Carr’s Cove as non-motorized. Campbell and assembly member Jerry Lapp were opposed.
Commissioner Donnie Turner called the idea for an ATV park “crazy,” and said his friends who are motorized users wouldn’t want to be confined to a small area.
“None of the people I know want to be stuck in a five-acre area where they drive around in circles,” Turner said. “We have lots of places to play. Nobody is going to play on a five-acre lot or a 10-acre lot in the townsite.”
“It’d be like telling (fellow planning commissioner) Heather (Lende), ‘You can go hike in a little half-acre circle and you can go around and around in circles,’” he added.
Turner said establishing a small area to use ATVs wouldn’t address his real concern, which is that more and more areas will be closed to motorized use following the Chilkat River beaches decision.
“It’s everybody’s land to use,” Turner said.
Commissioner Lee Heinmiller was also skeptical of the idea, and said the borough would be “crazy” to assume the liability that would be associated with a park.
“Ensuring that there are still places to ride (motorized vehicles) within the borough is one thing, but designating them as such is a really tough road forward,” Heinmiller said.
The commission tossed around a couple of ideas for potential spots, including land by Community Waste Solutions on FAA Road, but determined various factors like environmental regulations would defeat any effort to construct a park.
“I think it’s a good idea, I just don’t think it’s Haines,” commissioner Danny Gonce said.