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Lakeshore ATV/UTV club asks Belgium trustees to OK street routes; public hearing set for November
Summary
Members of the Lakeshore ATV/UTV Club presented a model route ordinance to the Village of Belgium board, asked the village to designate on‑road routes and offered to install signage and run safety and ambassador programs; the board set a public hearing for the November meeting and signaled likely consideration of a vote then.
Representatives of the Lakeshore ATV/UTV Club told the Village of Belgium board on Oct. 11 that a local ordinance allowing on‑road ATV and UTV routes would expand transportation options and help local businesses while preserving safety rules.
“My name is Kevin Piper,” said a club representative, who outlined the group’s proposal and emphasized the distinction between on‑road routes and off‑road trails. The club’s plan would make village streets part of a designated ATV/UTV route system where legal speed limits are 35 mph or less, require operators to obey traffic laws, carry liability insurance and comply with state safety and noise limits.
The presenters said the ordinance they provided mirrors templates used elsewhere in the county and state and incorporates several statutory requirements: route designation, operator responsibilities, proof of liability coverage, helmet and youth certification rules and a statutory decibel limit for machines. They offered to furnish and install route signage and to run a volunteer “trail master”/ambassador program to monitor compliance and report violations to law enforcement.
Trustees raised questions about noise and exhaust, potential wear on village streets, bicyclist safety on shared corridors and how the village would coordinate any county‑maintained sections (for example, portions of Highway D). Presenters said many modern machines use lower‑impact radial tires and that the state statute limits routes to roads posted 35 mph or slower; they also highlighted the club’s DNR‑certified trail master patrols and the club’s record volunteering for local charities.
The board’s chair said the trustees would hold a public hearing at the November meeting and likely vote on the ordinance that same night. No ordinance was adopted Oct. 11; the presentation and the public hearing scheduling were the explicit steps taken on the record.
What happens next: the board will publish hearing details, collect public comment at the November meeting and consider the ordinance after that hearing.
