JOKER
10-01-2003, 09:23 AM
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Offroad park project draws landowner fire
by Cerise Merritt
Staff writer
- The proposed offroad vehicle park near Montell has raised a basic question: Is economic development always a good thing?
Texas Motorized Trails Coalition has selected a 2,100-acre site where the statewide membership group hopes to build what would eventually become a full four-wheeler, camping and recreation facility.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently approved TMTC for a grant to buy land for a park, but the state agency has to approve the location. A decision is expected at the next TPW commissioners’ meeting Nov. 1.
Montell residents, who are united in their opposition to the idea, have identified the proposed park site as a ranch previously used for commercial hunting. The owner of the property could not be reached for confirmation.
The identified property is located three miles west of Highway 55, down County Road 413. It is situated between Montell Creek and Live Oak Creek, according to a neighboring property owner. It is surrounded by working ranches. Two of the adjoining properties have people living on-site. “I can assure you that no one in this neighborhood wants this,” said Glenn Lee. “As an adjoining property owner, I am totally opposed to it. They chose a poor site.
“It will mean the destruction of a peaceful nature area. The attraction of the area is that it is such a peaceful environment. This will destroy it.
“The park would bring noise and crowds. There’s also the environmental impact – one 4-wheel drive vehicle can destroy a lot of property.” Montell rancher John Rogers is also opposed to the plan.
“I’ve lived there all my life. I was born and raised there. It’s a pristine area,” he said. “There are things of nature there that no other area has. The property is in a recharge zone for the springs, and it includes an archeological area with Indian mounds,” Rogers said. “Most of us don’t even use or allow four-wheelers on our ranches. They create erosion by cutting into the topsoil. This will completely destroy the natural habitat.”
Dan Cammack, who recently purchased property in the area, was distressed by the possible development. “It makes me sick to my stomach that they want to do this,” he said. “The area is pristine, unadulterated property. It has everything from unusual landscape to natural springs to wildlife. I can’t believe that folks would contemplate tearing up this kind of property. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do this,” he said. “It’s like putting a race-car track in the middle of a residential district. I’m a 4-wheeler enthusiast myself, but this makes no sense to me.”
Carol Smith, TMTC spokesperson, said she thinks the park will be good for the area. The 3,200-member group presently owns and operates an off-highway vehicle park, Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area, near Gilmer. “We will bring a lot of economic development to the area,” Smith said. “We bring a lot of tax money into Gilmer. We were a real boost to their local economy.
Joan Small, director of the Gilmer Chamber of Commerce, confirmed this.
“People come into town and spend their money on motels, gas, food, the car wash. It’s really helped our economy,” Small said.
“We get more calls about the park than we do anything else in the area. There isn’t any given time since they opened that the motels here aren’t full.” There are those who have the same vision for Uvalde and Real counties. “I believe it would be an economic advantage. We are an economically depressed area,” said Camp Wood resident Bubba Hickman. “This is a form of recreation that’s growing more and more popular.
The park would be a tremendous opportunity for the entire community. It would help keep restaurants, hotels and campgrounds bringing in money year-round. It would bring in a lot of money to Uvalde and Real counties.”
Jesse Moreno, Uvalde County commissioner for the Montell area, said he is also in favor of the project. “I think this will benefit the county. The state legislature banned four-wheelers from the river area, and people need a place to ride.”
Smith isn’t concerned about local objections to the proposed park. “There is a certain amount of prejudice we’ll have to overcome,” she said. “We prefer and would like to be looked upon as good neighbors. We co-exist quite well in the Gilmer area. I think once we can sit down and talk with landowners we can assuage their concerns.”
One of the primary concerns is wildlife. The state-required wildlife habitat assessment of the area has been completed.
“One endangered species has been located, but I believe we can coexist with it quite well,” Smith said. She added that neighbors to the proposed park are worried about issues that are resolvable.
“We use nationally recognized guidelines when we build our parks,” she explained. “Proper trail creation and maintenance will prevent soil erosion.
“We’ll create buffer zones to combat the noise problem. We don’t build any trail other than a perimeter trail (used for maintenance) next to a fence line. We stay 50-200 feet away from fences. Since there are no homes next to the fence line on the surrounding properties, people shouldn’t be bothered by the noise.”
Access to the property is another concern of neighboring landowners. Smith said the site is reached by a road deeded, meted and maintained by the county.
Montell landowners said the county only owns part of the road leading to the property. The remaining mile or so is private road with legal easements. Access to the property requires going through three bump gates, neighbors said. This is another major concern. Lee said he and his wife recently spent thousands of dollars repairing the road and gates that would be used to access the proposed site.
TPW officials said they would have to see the deeds and obtain easement information before determining whether adequate access is available. Montell residents also voiced concern that Nueces Canyon School District would lose money if the non-profit TMTC bought the proposed site.
“We intend to maintain the exact amount of taxes in the school district as are paid now,” Smith said. “We look forward to working with the school district. We look forward to bringing economic development to the area and being good neighbors,” she stressed.
Smith said the primary reason for objections to the park is that people have the wrong image of off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
“All members agree to a very strict code of ethics,” she said. “We are a family-based organization, and we provide a safe and responsible area for people to recreate.”
Misconception isn’t the problem, opponents said. “I’m not opposed to the idea of a four-wheeler park, I just don’t think this is the place for one,” Rogers said. “The ranch isn’t big enough for what they want to do. It’s all straight up and down. “They need to be somewhere that has already been destroyed, either by people or by nature. They need to be in Del Rio or somewhere. I called a friend of mine in Del Rio to see if there was any property for sale. He has 5,000 acres 10 miles north of Langtry with water, electricity, county roads. That would be perfect for this.”
The proposed park would eventually be a multi-purpose facility, Smith said. It would include hiking and biking trails and family recreation and would also be open to the public. “A lot of people can’t afford the $5 a day admission at Garner State Park,” she said.
Rick Jones, president of South Texas Offroad Association and supporter of the park, said he expects it to eventually offer paved areas for recreational vehicles and campsites with water and electricity. “It will be a full family park,” he said. “That’s what they have at Gilmer.”
Jones said the daily admission fee to Barwood Mountain is $10 a day for members and $15 for non-members. “Senate Bill 155 (which banned offroad vehicles from Texas rivers) was very anti-community legislation. We need a place to ride,” Jones said. “This place in Montell would be perfect for a four-wheeler park. It’s not good for much else.
“I first scouted it out about four years ago, but the owner wasn’t ready to sell then. Now he is.” Jones isn’t bothered about objections to the proposed site, including those about an endangered species.
“It seems kind of silly to avoid 2,200 acres just for a bird. I’ve hit more birds with my Cadillac than with my 4-wheeler,” he said.
He also said neighboring ranchers had no reason to worry about their livestock.
“We’re not going to be riding along fence lines,” he said. “If it’s that big of a deal, they can put fences up. That’s just common livestock management.” TMTC is required to hold a local public hearing before the project can move ahead. Tim Hogsett, with TPW said the meeting has not been scheduled, but he anticipates that it will be soon.
The funding for the offroad vehicle park, wherever it will be developed, is through the state’s Trail Grant program, said TPW spokesman Tom Harvey. “It’s federal money that uses gas taxes from offroad vehicles,” he explained. “The same state legislation that banned offroad vehicles from riverbeds required us to help provide other areas for the recreation.” Harvey also clarified that the parks would not be state-owned or operated.
“The grants go to cities, counties or non-profit groups to develop the parks, which they then own and manage. We’re just managing the grants. We’re not operating the trails.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an on-line publication of
The Uvalde Leader-News
110 No. East St.
Uvalde, Tx 78802-0740
830/278-3335
830/278-9191 (fax)
For comments or questions, email The Uvalde Leader-News
http://www.uvaldeleadernews.com/story11.shtml
Offroad park project draws landowner fire
by Cerise Merritt
Staff writer
- The proposed offroad vehicle park near Montell has raised a basic question: Is economic development always a good thing?
Texas Motorized Trails Coalition has selected a 2,100-acre site where the statewide membership group hopes to build what would eventually become a full four-wheeler, camping and recreation facility.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department recently approved TMTC for a grant to buy land for a park, but the state agency has to approve the location. A decision is expected at the next TPW commissioners’ meeting Nov. 1.
Montell residents, who are united in their opposition to the idea, have identified the proposed park site as a ranch previously used for commercial hunting. The owner of the property could not be reached for confirmation.
The identified property is located three miles west of Highway 55, down County Road 413. It is situated between Montell Creek and Live Oak Creek, according to a neighboring property owner. It is surrounded by working ranches. Two of the adjoining properties have people living on-site. “I can assure you that no one in this neighborhood wants this,” said Glenn Lee. “As an adjoining property owner, I am totally opposed to it. They chose a poor site.
“It will mean the destruction of a peaceful nature area. The attraction of the area is that it is such a peaceful environment. This will destroy it.
“The park would bring noise and crowds. There’s also the environmental impact – one 4-wheel drive vehicle can destroy a lot of property.” Montell rancher John Rogers is also opposed to the plan.
“I’ve lived there all my life. I was born and raised there. It’s a pristine area,” he said. “There are things of nature there that no other area has. The property is in a recharge zone for the springs, and it includes an archeological area with Indian mounds,” Rogers said. “Most of us don’t even use or allow four-wheelers on our ranches. They create erosion by cutting into the topsoil. This will completely destroy the natural habitat.”
Dan Cammack, who recently purchased property in the area, was distressed by the possible development. “It makes me sick to my stomach that they want to do this,” he said. “The area is pristine, unadulterated property. It has everything from unusual landscape to natural springs to wildlife. I can’t believe that folks would contemplate tearing up this kind of property. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to do this,” he said. “It’s like putting a race-car track in the middle of a residential district. I’m a 4-wheeler enthusiast myself, but this makes no sense to me.”
Carol Smith, TMTC spokesperson, said she thinks the park will be good for the area. The 3,200-member group presently owns and operates an off-highway vehicle park, Barnwell Mountain Recreation Area, near Gilmer. “We will bring a lot of economic development to the area,” Smith said. “We bring a lot of tax money into Gilmer. We were a real boost to their local economy.
Joan Small, director of the Gilmer Chamber of Commerce, confirmed this.
“People come into town and spend their money on motels, gas, food, the car wash. It’s really helped our economy,” Small said.
“We get more calls about the park than we do anything else in the area. There isn’t any given time since they opened that the motels here aren’t full.” There are those who have the same vision for Uvalde and Real counties. “I believe it would be an economic advantage. We are an economically depressed area,” said Camp Wood resident Bubba Hickman. “This is a form of recreation that’s growing more and more popular.
The park would be a tremendous opportunity for the entire community. It would help keep restaurants, hotels and campgrounds bringing in money year-round. It would bring in a lot of money to Uvalde and Real counties.”
Jesse Moreno, Uvalde County commissioner for the Montell area, said he is also in favor of the project. “I think this will benefit the county. The state legislature banned four-wheelers from the river area, and people need a place to ride.”
Smith isn’t concerned about local objections to the proposed park. “There is a certain amount of prejudice we’ll have to overcome,” she said. “We prefer and would like to be looked upon as good neighbors. We co-exist quite well in the Gilmer area. I think once we can sit down and talk with landowners we can assuage their concerns.”
One of the primary concerns is wildlife. The state-required wildlife habitat assessment of the area has been completed.
“One endangered species has been located, but I believe we can coexist with it quite well,” Smith said. She added that neighbors to the proposed park are worried about issues that are resolvable.
“We use nationally recognized guidelines when we build our parks,” she explained. “Proper trail creation and maintenance will prevent soil erosion.
“We’ll create buffer zones to combat the noise problem. We don’t build any trail other than a perimeter trail (used for maintenance) next to a fence line. We stay 50-200 feet away from fences. Since there are no homes next to the fence line on the surrounding properties, people shouldn’t be bothered by the noise.”
Access to the property is another concern of neighboring landowners. Smith said the site is reached by a road deeded, meted and maintained by the county.
Montell landowners said the county only owns part of the road leading to the property. The remaining mile or so is private road with legal easements. Access to the property requires going through three bump gates, neighbors said. This is another major concern. Lee said he and his wife recently spent thousands of dollars repairing the road and gates that would be used to access the proposed site.
TPW officials said they would have to see the deeds and obtain easement information before determining whether adequate access is available. Montell residents also voiced concern that Nueces Canyon School District would lose money if the non-profit TMTC bought the proposed site.
“We intend to maintain the exact amount of taxes in the school district as are paid now,” Smith said. “We look forward to working with the school district. We look forward to bringing economic development to the area and being good neighbors,” she stressed.
Smith said the primary reason for objections to the park is that people have the wrong image of off-road vehicle enthusiasts.
“All members agree to a very strict code of ethics,” she said. “We are a family-based organization, and we provide a safe and responsible area for people to recreate.”
Misconception isn’t the problem, opponents said. “I’m not opposed to the idea of a four-wheeler park, I just don’t think this is the place for one,” Rogers said. “The ranch isn’t big enough for what they want to do. It’s all straight up and down. “They need to be somewhere that has already been destroyed, either by people or by nature. They need to be in Del Rio or somewhere. I called a friend of mine in Del Rio to see if there was any property for sale. He has 5,000 acres 10 miles north of Langtry with water, electricity, county roads. That would be perfect for this.”
The proposed park would eventually be a multi-purpose facility, Smith said. It would include hiking and biking trails and family recreation and would also be open to the public. “A lot of people can’t afford the $5 a day admission at Garner State Park,” she said.
Rick Jones, president of South Texas Offroad Association and supporter of the park, said he expects it to eventually offer paved areas for recreational vehicles and campsites with water and electricity. “It will be a full family park,” he said. “That’s what they have at Gilmer.”
Jones said the daily admission fee to Barwood Mountain is $10 a day for members and $15 for non-members. “Senate Bill 155 (which banned offroad vehicles from Texas rivers) was very anti-community legislation. We need a place to ride,” Jones said. “This place in Montell would be perfect for a four-wheeler park. It’s not good for much else.
“I first scouted it out about four years ago, but the owner wasn’t ready to sell then. Now he is.” Jones isn’t bothered about objections to the proposed site, including those about an endangered species.
“It seems kind of silly to avoid 2,200 acres just for a bird. I’ve hit more birds with my Cadillac than with my 4-wheeler,” he said.
He also said neighboring ranchers had no reason to worry about their livestock.
“We’re not going to be riding along fence lines,” he said. “If it’s that big of a deal, they can put fences up. That’s just common livestock management.” TMTC is required to hold a local public hearing before the project can move ahead. Tim Hogsett, with TPW said the meeting has not been scheduled, but he anticipates that it will be soon.
The funding for the offroad vehicle park, wherever it will be developed, is through the state’s Trail Grant program, said TPW spokesman Tom Harvey. “It’s federal money that uses gas taxes from offroad vehicles,” he explained. “The same state legislation that banned offroad vehicles from riverbeds required us to help provide other areas for the recreation.” Harvey also clarified that the parks would not be state-owned or operated.
“The grants go to cities, counties or non-profit groups to develop the parks, which they then own and manage. We’re just managing the grants. We’re not operating the trails.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is an on-line publication of
The Uvalde Leader-News
110 No. East St.
Uvalde, Tx 78802-0740
830/278-3335
830/278-9191 (fax)
For comments or questions, email The Uvalde Leader-News