Abusive ATVs / Neighbors Battle for Property Rights

To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to validate facts and assertions contained in a recent Letter to the Editor titled: “Dennis Spout Offs Fair; Politicians Short on Integrity” which was published on 11-06-13. In conjunction with the author of this letter, Walt Noll, I am one of several Dennis Township homeowners and taxpayers who have been forced by Dennis Township officials to fight the “fight of our lives” for the basic and fundamental property right to enjoy peaceful habitation of our homes and property. As succinctly detailed in Mr. Noll’s letter specific to abusive ATV usage on residential and commercial private property (which is pervasive throughout all of this municipality) the endless tale of political bickering, inaction, and enablement by government officials of outrageous and harmful living conditions is clear and evident in public record testimony, meeting minutes and audio tapes spanning many years.
Clearly the “municipal process” is not working in Dennis Township. Considering the long history of documented ATV complaints as briefly detailed in Mr. Noll’s letter, why Dennis Township has taken no action while municipality after municipality has legislated effective noise and off-road-vehicle restrictions to preserve neighborhood stability and promote health, safety and welfare is mind-boggling. It is even more mind-boggling in that private citizens (including Mr. Noll and myself serving on an ATV Subcommittee) extensively researched and submitted a plethora of “viable” ordinances as models for effective ordinance legislation – all to no avail involving both Township Committee and the Consolidated Land Use Board.
And, this whole issue becomes even more mind-boggling and absurd since the state sponsored and taxpayer funded Woodbine ATV Park opened in January of 2013. Now, almost a year afterward, inconsiderate and abusive property owners refuse to utilize it. Three basic questions come to mind: (1) Why is there no protective mandate from the township directing this activity to this approriate location? (2) Why are ATVs still riding in circles around their houses on 3/4 acre lots in residential zoning areas? (3) Where else in all of New Jersey is this abusive practice allowed to generate noise, dust and fumes which cross property lines and endanger neighboring families?
Most disturbing of all concerning this matter of “political integrity” (or lack thereof) is the assertion in Mr. Noll’s letter that complainants are “villified” by township officials. From first hand experience, this is absolutely true. The efforts coming from township hall seem not to be oriented in solving this quality of life and health and safety issue that negatively impacts everyone, but instead, are focused on discrediting selective formal citizen complaints and embarrassing and revealing spout-off disclosures submitted by multiple anonymous sources. Also, damage control was recently evidenced in the Herald just before the 11-05-13 election via two politically motivated “spin” letters attempting to minimize and distort this issue. At the end of the day, all of this is just another example of the complete failure of the “municipal process” when citizens have a governing body that lacks integrity and does not provide an objective and level playing field to present and review problems.
As a final comment, it is more than speculation that local government is infused with a plethora of “conflicts of interest” involving officials who are directly involved, or have family members who have direct interests in ATV riding practices in Dennis Township. As Mr. Noll relates in his letter, the public record, meeting minutes and other official documents and official complaints can “speak for themsellves” regarding these conflicts which are the obvious impediments to responsible government and resolution of the “ATV ISSUE” in Dennis Township.