Greenville voters approve increased ATV access

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — Voters in Greenville passed three resolutions last week that would give ATV riders more access to businesses and connect trails easier in the community.
    However, two of the questions have to be submitted to the Maine Department of Transportation for final approval while the other proposal was actually an extension of a policy already in place.

    Heeding the wishes of voters, the board of selectmen voted to approve all three questions at their Nov. 5 meeting.
    The board voted 5-0 to make the existing ATV access route from Lily Bay Road to the end of the town way at the bridge over Wilson Stream via Varney, Scammon, Drew and East roads permanent, according to minutes of the meeting. Voters easily approved this measure, 689-283.
    The Moosehead ATV Club would be required to install signage along the entire route consistent with MDOT requirements and also create kiosks at the ends of the access routes which explain the route, the rules for using the route, and also provide small maps explaining the same for ATV riders.
    The first new access route recommended by voters would be created along Moosehead Lake Road between the intersection with Eveleth Hill and one of the driveways leading to the businesses atop Indian Hill. The motion passed 4-0 with Selectman Craig Watt abstaining. Watt is the general manager of Indian Hill Trading Post and announced he would not vote on the motion due to a conflict of interest. Voters approved this proposal, 522-389.
    The second new route would connect Pritham Avenue’s current ATV access route to Moosehead Lake and Lily Bay roads via the downtown intersection. Currently, the route runs along Pritham Avenue, but stops at the entrance to the municipal parking lot near Jamieson’s Store. Voters were evenly divided on this question and it only passed by a four-vote margin: 457-453.
    In other items discussed at the Nov. 5 meeting, the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club has been informed that a key landowner on Scammon Ridge has closed access to the snowmobile trail, effectively cutting off northbound trails from Greenville to points such as Kokadjo and the Millinocket region.
    The MRSC and the town have been exploring other options for a trail, including re-visiting access along outer Scammon Road and development of a new trail through the woods south of and parallel to East Road and the KI Road.
    Following a presentation by MRSC President John Cobb, selectmen voted 5-0 to authorize Town Manager John Simko to pursue all of the options discussed to resolve the lack of snowmobile trail access north from Greenville on the east side of Moosehead Lake and report back to the board at their Nov. 19 meeting.
    Town Clerk Roxanne Lizotte thanked the Board of Selectmen for authorizing the use of the electronic vote counter on Nov. 4. The election would have normally resulted in the clerks staying up until after midnight; but with the help of the counter, they were finished by 9:30 p.m.
    Greenville had a 65 percent turnout Election Day with 1,037 of 1,605 registered voters participating.
    Simko announced that there will be a workshop with Raegan LaRochelle and Jonathan Pottle of Eaton and Peabody at the municipal office on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. to discuss how tax increment finance (TIF) districts work.
    The members of the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation have been invited to this workshop, which is also open to the public.