Discriminatory Riverside County Ordinance Delayed - News - Dirt Rider Magazine

In an effort to assist Riverside county officials in developing a non-discriminatory Sound Ordinance, the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) have collaborated with the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, planning officials and the local off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders in Riverside, California. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure that residents who are off-roader recreation enthusiasts can ride their vehicles on their own property without infringing on the private property rights of their neighbors.Property owners in Riverside County have asked for help from ORBA and AMA when they learned that a new County Ordinance was being drafted to stop the use of off-road vehicles instead of addressing the problem of excessive noise in the community. Actual sound testing, funded by the AMA, showed that, when equipped with state required exhaust systems the noise level is not a problem. The County Planning Commission agreed to postpone any action on the proposed ordinance.The off-highway vehicle industry and the OHV recreation community is aware of the problems excessive sound creates with neighbors. "We believe the key to solving this problem is to moderate the sound levels made by the OHV's and to establish reasonable hours of operation" says Bill Dart, Land Use Director for ORBA. "The ordinance, as written today is excessive, and possibly discriminatory, as it includes special rules ONLY for people who choose to ride OHV's on their own property."Working in conjunction with all of the parties involved, ORBA and AMA are committed to helping Riverside County planning officials adopt an ordinance that the off-highway vehicle users in the community and the County can point to as well written and fair to all parties involved. It is the goal of ORBA and AMA to cause Riverside County residents to welcome their neighbors who ride OHV's with appropriate low sound level exhaust systems that do not infringe on their property rights.ORBA is a Santee, California-based trade association comprised of off-road related businesses united to promote common goals that support the prosperity and growth of the off-road industry.The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), based in Pickerington, Ohio, is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1924, with more than 260,000 enthusiast members nationwide, more than 30,000 of whom reside in California. AMA members are interested in any action that may affect their enjoyment of off-highway motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) recreation.