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Debate over an OHV request
Council as a whole proved unswayed by a
request for an exemption from the new Off-Highway Vehicle restriction in
residential areas.
They debated the request, from a
property owner near the defined restriction boundary in Bellevue, at the
Tuesday, November 20 council meeting. CAO Gordon Lundy said that council
should either treat all property owners equally no matter how close they
are to the boundary, or possibly create a permit system for those within
a certain distance of the boundary, allowing them to ride from home.
Councillor Ian MacLeod said that if
council started giving out permits, everyone would want one and it would
become a mess. Councillor Larry Mitchell agreed, saying that if it is
changed for one person, it should be changed for all.
Councillor Dean Ward said that an
exemption would simply change the boundary and allow people close to the
new boundary to make the same case.
“There’s got to be a boundary,” he said.
“You either have they bylaw or you don’t.” Councillor David Cole said
that he feels people aren’t obeying the new bylaw’s restrictions anyway,
and that there is still no enforcement. He said that he doesn’t think
it’s a good bylaw.
Mayor Irwin, the bylaw’s only opponent
when the previous council enacted it, said that the whole thing creates
a lot of problems and could lead to a lot of unnecessary expenses. He
said that he feels the new council should revisit the bylaw from the
ground up in the future.
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