ATV riders fed up with delays

[viper]

ATV riders fed up with delays
Off-highway vehicle riders have hope after the county presented them with a list of sites they might consider to build trails. But it may take years to come to fruition.


All-terrain vehicle enthusiasts got the message: It will be a while before they will have a park to ride in.

But riders from across the county who have spent the past year asking the county to find them a legal and safe riding place -- that's not 400 miles away in Ocala -- are not taking the news lightly.

''Where do I go now?'' said four-wheeler rider John Setzer, who fears his children will be grown by the time the county builds a park.

County parks department officials and a consultant -- hired to conduct a study of possible riding areas -- told more than 150 riders at a meeting Wednesday that they must be patient. The gathering took place at John D. Campbell Agricultural Center Auditorium, 18710 SW 288th St.

Consultants with Wallace Roberts & Todd presented the findings to the enthusiasts and officials from the Florida Division of Forestry and the South Florida Water Management District.

Sixteen sites were considered, but none of the spots will be available anytime soon.

And it's likely that many of the preferred locations among ATV riders will never be available because they're either privately owned or environmentally-sensitive South Florida Water Management District lands.

''It's important to understand it's a feasibility study -- and not a design study,'' Gerald Marston, landscape architect with the firm, was quick to point out.

Marston said the group used certain criteria such as user appeal, size of a site, environmental constraints, cost to obtain and cost to develop to narrow down the options. Then they visited each spot to gauge its potential.

Scoring the highest: the decommissioned Opa-locka West Airport, which as of Friday is being used for Countyline Dragway, the first drag racing strip in Miami-Dade County.

Another front-runner was Rocky Glades, 5,000 acres just off of Krome Avenue and next to the Everglades, which won't be available for three to five years. Lake Belt, some 80 acres off Okeechobee Road in Northwest Dade, also came in as a top choice.

The favorite among riders was Aerojet, a 28,000-square-foot property off Southwest 456th Street and 232nd Avenue, which is owned by South Florida Water Management.

''It's way out in the boonies, which is a good thing or a bad thing,'' said Scott Lamb, a civil engineer with Lamb and Associates who helped out in the study and is a self-described ATV rider. ``But with a little bit of work there could be a great trail.''

ATV riders plan to push for that site, though it may not be for grabs, since most of it is protected wetlands.

Fred Davis, director of the South Florida Water Management District's Land Stewardship Division, said the agency would consider the site and give the county its recommendation.

After the presentation, the consultants asked enthusiasts to fill out surveys about the types of bikes they use. They also asked ATV riders to rate the sites.

Again, Aerojet seemed to be the top vote-getter.

Most riders were impressed with the consultant's work and the choices, but the question weighing on their mind, enthusiast Robert Saldana said, was ``when are you guys going to make a decision for the land so we can ride?''

Park officials say it's not that easy.

Andy McCall, a park planner, said the consultant must first revise the draft report based on comments received at the meeting, then ask other agencies to comment before preparing the final report and narrowing down the list to five or six sites.

The County Commission makes the final decision. And after that the park would need to be designed and funded before it is approved for construction. That could take years.

But Barbara Falsey, chief of research and planning for the parks department, promised that the county would do its best to find riders a temporary spot sooner than that.

''This . . . will not happen if we don't have everybody working together,'' she told the rowdy crowd.

[TRX450R_Racer]

They are like the insurance companies. They take our money with no problem, but when it's time to put up they want to change the rules.

[The Quad FaJa]

They are like the insurance companies. They take our money with no problem, but when it's time to put up they want to change the rules.

sad...but this is one of the reasons I have sold my quad...just no where to ride any more with out making a trip out of it...

[miamigirlrider]

Everyone is intitled to there opinion but as long as I have breath in me I will continue to fight for a legal and safe riding area.

Selling your quads and giving up to them is not the answer. They have outlawed jetskis, gokarts, gopeds, atvs and now paintballing. But regardless sales tax are being collected on the sale of these items.

I have been told several times by several depts. if is wasn't for people like you guys that care and are vocal atv's would be illegal and forgotten like jetskis. If only the jetski community was so passionate about it.

So bottom line is I will not run and hide, or sell and give up. Its legal to buy then make it legal to ride!!!!!!!!

At least that is what I want my kids to learn, don't roll over and cry defeat but fight for what you believe.

[HondaATC]

Whoa, Aerojet as an off-road park will be interesting! I've been out there quite a few times (Originally from that area) and always thought about how cool it'd be to ride up and down the stairs and around on top of the loading docks of those old buildings 

[The Quad FaJa]

So bottom line is I will not run and hide, or sell and give up. Its legal to buy then make it legal to ride!!!!!!!!

At least that is what I want my kids to learn, don't roll over and cry defeat but fight for what you believe.

I didnt give up...I just got tired of not having places to ride with out making it a trip..thats not giving up..I just putt he money in some thing I can do when ever I want...

[#32YammiMan]

Jetsking is illegal?

[1FasterBlaster]

Didn't sound to me like any of those area's was interesting.S.Florida is pretty much flat.What fun is that unless they build obstacles?

[renmus]

Why should the government build obstacles when they can just be one?