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Residents ask Henniker to rescind OHRV access on Dodge Hill, Hemlock Corner and College Pond roads; select board urges committee process
Summary
A group of about 20 residents urged the select board to rescind off‑highway recreational vehicle (OHRV) access on three roads, citing noise and quality‑of‑life impacts; the board encouraged the group to present to the town's OHRV committee first and agreed to hold a formal hearing as part of the process.
About 20 residents asked the Henniker Select Board on May 20 to rescind off‑highway recreational vehicle (OHRV) access on Dodge Hill Road, Hemlock Corner Loop and College Pond Road, saying the use has become a sustained noise nuisance.
Steve Fine, speaking for the group, told the board the neighborhood had submitted a May 9 letter requesting rescission and a public hearing. “An OHRV can be as loud as 96 decibels under state law. A freight train is only 80 decibels at a 100 feet,” Fine said, describing the machines as “extremely loud” and saying the activity “substantially impairs the quality of our life during the summer.”
Board response: Selectmen and other board members urged the residents to present their concerns to the town’s OHRV committee so the committee could attempt education, outreach or mitigation measures. The board noted the committee has resolved similar hotspots in the past through outreach and temporary measures and that the committee is the intended forum for local OHRV grievances.
Procedural notes and scheduling: Residents told the board they had attended prior OHRV committee meetings and felt the problem persisted; the board nonetheless encouraged a group presentation at the committee’s meeting. Town staff and board members discussed meeting dates: the OHRV committee meeting was noted as June 24, and the board identified July 15 as the earliest possible select board hearing date because the board has only one meeting in July. Residents and the board agreed to continue through the prescribed process, and the board indicated it would schedule a formal hearing after the committee has had an opportunity to act.
Ordinance discrepancy: Neighbors also pointed out that College Pond Road appeared in adoption minutes but was omitted from the formal ordinance text. The board acknowledged the inconsistency and said it would be corrected and addressed as part of the forthcoming hearing.
What’s next: The board urged the neighborhood to attend the June OHRV committee meeting together; if the committee cannot resolve the issue, the select board said it will take the neighborhood’s case under advisement and schedule a select board hearing.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 298; topfinish SEG 790
