Update On Longville ATV Ordinance
The Longville city clerk contacted the club for information on their ATV Ordinance, which
we assisted the city with creating a few years ago. Here is our club’s letter to the
Longville City Council, including an inquiry to find out if Class 1 ATV riders are still being
ticketed for riding on Longville city streets, or if Class 1 are now legal, like Class 2 ATVs
are currently. We’ll let you know what we find out.
To: Longville City Council
November 8, 2016
I want to thank Christina, your city clerk, for asking me about the Longville ATV
Ordinance, how it came about and how it is connected to our club’s proposal to create a
Grant-In-Aid ATV Trail from Longville to Hackensack and further west to the Foot Hills
State Forest. I also want to apologize for not updating you earlier about our OHV Trail
proposal, which has stalled out. The ordinance and trail project got their start at the
same time. Here is an update:
Project to create a GIA ATV Trail
The Woodtick Wheelers held meetings in 2011 and 2012 with the Longville City Council
to get approval and support to create a Grant-In-Aid ATV trail connecting Longville to
Hackensack.
As required by Cass County (the funding sponsor) and the MN DNR, the club received
resolutions in favor of this project from Longville, Hackensack, 5 townships and 2
snowmobile clubs. An ordinance allowing ATVs on the Longville city streets was also
required. The team that worked on this ordinance included myself, Scott Carpenter and
Kam Kammueller, along with the city attorney.
As reported by the Pilot newspaper, Longville adopted an ordinance regulating the use
of ATVs and golf carts within the city limits on November 16, 2011.
In addition, the Cass County Commissioners on January 17, 2012, approved a request
by the City of Longville to allow ATVs to run on segments of CSHA 5 and 7 within
Longville city limits, as part of the GIA Trail proposal.
The Trail project also required a permit from MNDOT to allow ATVs coming into
Longville from the south on Cty 5, to cross State 84, but not ride on it. MNDOT said that
permit would not be available until the new bridge was installed.
In the meantime, as we moved through the MN DNR's 7-step process to create a GIA
Trail, we ran into some issues with Phase 1, from Longville to Whipholt. At the outset,
Pine Lake Township had voted to support the trail project (in a vote of 2 in favor, 1
against). Later, following elections at the township level, however, the person who
earlier voted against the trail, was elected township supervisor.
When the club got to the DNR’s Step 4, public comments were received on the project.
Over 200 were in favor. However, the few negative comments took precedence by the
County, which has a “neighborhood must approve projects” policy. The township
supervisor and residents along the proposed route, decided they didn’t want the trail on
the roads in Whipholt, crossing State 200, or using the roadside rest at the Whipholt
Beach for parking. The DNR requires that a GIA ATV Trail must have parking at both
ends. The club proposed alternate parking areas away from Whipholt, along the ‘C’ trail
to the County. Unfortunately, they were not acceptable to the County.
Losing Pine Lake Township support and not being able to get an approved parking area,
basically killed Phase 1 of the club’s proposed ATV Trail. At this time, there are no plans
to restart this ATV Trail proposal, which is unfortunate, because it would have provided
a safe, signed riding opportunity for families with ATVs and off-highway motorcycles.
I hope this helps the city council in addressing its ATV and golf car ordinance, and how
to move forward with it. Our club would like to know if the City of Longville allows
both Class 1 and Class 2 (side-by-sides) on city streets. Some of our members
have been ticketed by the DNR Conservation Officer for riding Class 1 ATVs into
Longville. Please let me know what is allowed, so I can pass the details on to our
club members.
Let me know if you have any questions about this subject.
Regards,
Dave Halsey, president
Woodtick Wheelers ATV/OHM Club
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Woodtick Wheelers ATV Club
P.O. Box 83
Hackensack, MN 56452
Thanks to a Polaris Trails grant, the Woodtick Wheelers were able to purchase a Polaris Sportsman 110 EFI to be used for youth safety training.
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