Off road vehicle use banned at protected site
By Melissa Muntz Community Reporter

Shrewsbury - The Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen has agreed to post signs prohibiting the use of off road vehicles (ORVs) on town-owned land off of Seneca Street at the request of the Conservation Commission.

The parcel of land includes areas protected by the Endangered Species Act, the Wetland Protection Act, the Clean Water Act and areas deemed priority habitats of rare species.

The commission reported that ORV use at the site had damaged areas protected by state and federal environmental agencies and that the town, because it owns the property, would be responsible for any fines or penalties associated with the damage.

Infractions to environmental law at the site include the placement of concrete pipes over an area of wetlands so it could be crossed, evidence that ORVs have traveled through a protected vernal pool, as well as evidence of ORV use in known wetland areas.

"I walked through the site and there were areas [of wetland] that I couldn't cross; there was mud and I could clearly see the tracks of something that had driven there," Selectman Moira Miller said. "It's not something we can ignore because there are penalties for that ... and our interest is in protecting the liability of the town."

Several teens and their parents attended an April 7 public hearing about the issue and they asked the board to either keep the site open or provide another area where the kids could ride.

"It's all I like to do and you're trying to take that away from us and that's just not fair," said Chris Parker, 15. "We're just trying to have a little fun and you're making it a crime and I don't understand that."

Board members said they understood the riders' frustration, but that their hands were tied when it came to the regulations.

"The law is the law," Selectman Maurice DePalo said. "That ultimately is going to be what governs our decision."

Concerns raised about the ORV use didn't just center on environmental protection. John Knipe, Denise Bosma and Angela Snell all said they were worried about ORV use on the street as riders make their way to the woods.

"We have a lot of small kids in the neighborhood and I've seen them just come screaming down the road," Bosma said.

Matt Lariviere, who had attended the meeting and was in favor of ORV use at the site, asked the board to compromise with the riders.

"This site is out of the question, we can't ride there," he said. "We're looking for your help and cooperation to find a piece of land in town where we can ride."

The Board of Selectmen closed the hearing, and is expected to discuss the issue further at its next meeting.