Officials begin review of ATV restrictions
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - The Township Committee has received the draft of an ordinance that, if adopted, will restrict and regulate the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) in Manalapan.

Along with the proposal to prohibit the use of ATVs within 500 feet of any religious facility or public or private school, a 200-foot-wide buffer zone is being added. Recreational ATV riders will be required to maintain a 200-foot buffer from a neighboring property.

In presenting the draft ordinance to the members of the committee on Oct. 11, Township Attorney James Kinneally said the ordinance would - as was the wish of the governing body - target people who ride an ATV on private property.

Kinneally said a particular lot size is not included in the ordinance due to the restriction that is inherent in the 200-foot wide buffer zone that will be required in order for a rider to be in compliance with the law.

Kinneally said an exemption for ATV use on a farm is written into the ordinance as well as an exception for people who use an ATV for jobs such as snow removal and property cleanup.

Police Chief Stuart Brown was consulted in the planning stages of the ordinance and asked that penalties be devised that would include confiscation of the ATV for violations of the ordinance.

According to Kinneally, the ordinance provides penalties that will consist of a fine for a first offense and confiscation of the vehicle for a second infraction.

Mayor Drew Shapiro asked Kinneally to submit the draft ordinance to the municipal court judge for review and input in order to determine if the judge had any suggestions or changes that would support enforcement.

In other business, Shapiro alluded to "a lot of aggravation" over a curb repair project that is under way throughout the township. He said the project was started in order to renovate curbing that has deteriorated over the years in residential developments and at other properties.

The mayor said the project has become a "turf war" with some residents upset about whose curbs are getting repaired and whose are not. Shapiro said municipal officials are working from a list. He said anyone who wants to be on the list should call town hall and ask to be included.

However, said Shapiro, "There is only so much time and money. The township is going to make assessments and the work will be done on an as-needed basis."