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Valley Road residents press council over ATV, dirt‑bike noise; inspector to propose noise-ordinance changes
Summary
Residents on Valley Road described sustained ATV and dirt-bike activity near homes and asked the council to enforce the noise ordinance. The zoning inspector agreed to propose ordinance amendments and the council left the item as unfinished business.
Several residents asked the council to address repeated ATV, dirt‑bike and off‑road-vehicle noise near Valley Road and neighbors said the activity has made homes unusable at times.
Dr. Gregory Casey and other residents described daily, long‑duration ATV and dirt‑bike use in a neighbor’s yard that they say violates the town’s noise rules. Residents said they had called zoning officials repeatedly and that readings by the zoning inspector showed repeated use — one speaker said riders operated 25 out of 28 days since March 10.
Zoning staff told the council that state nuisance definitions require sustained sound durations (30 seconds) and higher decibel thresholds (65 dB) than the town’s ordinance expresses; the inspector said he would draft proposed ordinance amendments to add a sustained‑duration element and clearer thresholds. Council members directed staff to leave the matter as unfinished business and to return next month with possible ordinance language and additional enforcement options. The council did not adopt changes at the meeting.
Residents described stress and disruption, and the council asked the zoning inspector to coordinate measurements during peak events and to prepare a draft amendment that accounts for sustained noise and frequency/quality concerns raised by neighbors.
