Good morning KC ATV folks,

I just wanted to update you on a meeting held last night for a proposed ATV park in Tiffany Springs by the KCI airport on the NW side of town. First off this project is in its infancy and it is estimated that it is 1.5 ? 2 years out if everything were to move along smoothly.

Last nights meeting was heated to say the least. There were approx. 20 people there and only 2-3 folks that represented the ?off-road? community with the remaining being homeowners or land owners strongly opposing the ORV Park, (with 3-4 folks representing KC Parks & Rec., Platte County, KCMO Police and the KCI Airport.)

The folks that oppose the park are extremely frustrated that there are ATVers trespassing today using the area illegally and one of their arguments is this will only get worse with and ORV Park. With that being said if you are using the area illegally today please STOP! This is not helping the cause.

Other opposition included excessive additional noise (they don?t mind the jets today, but don?t want THIS because it was not present when they moved there), excessive road traffic, parking, trash, disruption of the soil and terrain, erosion, severe disruption of the streams and watersheds, people getting hurt/killed, drinking & other illegal activity, potential trespassing outside the park, liability if someone gets hurt while trespassing, illegal camping, late night use, city tax dollars supporting a select group they feel should not buy an ATV if they don?t have a place to ride it, drain on the city tax dollar, the fact that it?s difficult to police today and little understanding how it can be policed in the future, and the list goes on.

Michael Herron (Regional Manager for the KC Parks & Rec. Dept.) led the meeting and did an outstanding job of addressing concerns with a room filled with opposition and emotion. The bottom line is we don?t yet have an area flagged for the ORV Park, don?t know the size, and if/when it is developed there will need to be a plan for the park to be ?self supporting? so it doesn?t cost the city anything outside of a little ?seed money? to get it started, and the park can be policed by users without adding additional law enforcement.

This park will not be an ORV park like several others that are entirely ?intense use? it will have designated & maintained trails with select ?intense use? areas. This will not be the biggest and best trail system & ORV Park in the Midwest, but will be a little place we can call our own as long as we pull together and commit to the judicious use of the area and have respect for the concerns of adjacent landowners. In addition, if all goes well future expansion would not be out of the question.

Here is what I?m asking. We need to show support for this from the ATV/ORV community and especially from those in KC Council District #2, which runs about from about midtown up to the NW side. (Keep in mind that all support is desperately needed.) In the eyes of homeowner & landowners around the proposed area the ATVers that are illegally riding there today are being used to stereotype ALL ATV users. We need to prove that the ORV Park can work and the vas majority of ATV enthusiasts are law abiding ATV users. Please let me know where I can contact you (e-mail, phone, address, whatever) with meeting dates and information. We need your support!

Thanks folks!

e-mail: dloecke@juno.com

 

Count me in. Email sent.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img] You know I was there last night and I live on the same road, I will give as much info I can and support as always, I want this and I want it here!!!!!!![img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Thanks for the support KansasCitySam! Would you be able to e-mail me your contact info and I'll forward you the e-mail I send to Polaris asking them for support.

Thanks again!!!

 

Me, Goldtoesox, and 2Xsurvivr are trying to start a group for KC area riders. We have a website there very little on it since we just got it this weekend. Check it out heres a link.
Kansas City OffRoad Riders
Feel free to join and tell everybody in KC.

 

The Missouri Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance (www.mohva.org) would like to offer our help as well.

I have sent you an email with some ideas and somethings that MOHVA can help you with.

 

Thanks for all the replies folks! Sorry for the delay in getting back, just returend from being out of town. I have not heard much since the meeting, but I did received a message from Mike Herron with KC Parks & Rec and he is going to keep me posted with any updates. My advice at this point is to make sure I have your e-mail and I'll keep you posted that way also. Please send to dloecke@juno.com. Thanks again!!!!!!!