Backyard motocross banned

Circling the yard on a dirt bike or other off-road vehicle in Spokane Valley will soon be illegal.

At its meeting Tuesday, the City Council passed an ordinance that makes it a violation of the zoning code to operate gas-powered recreational vehicles on private residential property.

The law comes after an effort spanning more than a year and half by people in Greenacres protesting a small motocross track their neighbor had built behind his house.

“I think this corrects the problem,” said Councilman Gary Schimmels. Off-road vehicle riding is an issue in many places inside the city, he said, adding that he is often annoyed by people riding in a large lot next to his house.

Those already riding on their property will be able to continue for about six months, although the council may consider reducing that amount of time at a future meeting.

If the six-month phase-out remains in place, the motors will stop a full two years after several neighbors began contacting a variety of government bodies trying to get one of them to stop an activity they thought was illegal.

“We can’t sit out on our patio and enjoy it on a nice sunny afternoon,” said Claire Pennel, who lives next to the track. He said yards are simply too close to each other for people to ride off-road vehicles without bothering people nearby.

His neighbors saw their complaints shuffled among police and city departments only to find out that the noise from the bikes didn’t fall outside legal limits.

That’s no surprise to the man who owns the track, who has said he bought his large lot with his kids’ motorcycling hobby in mind and checked to make sure he was within his rights.

So the neighbors last September asked the City Council to change the law.

After a unanimous recommendation by the Planning Commission, the City Council enacted the ordinance Tuesday following a 6-1 vote.

Councilman Steve Taylor voted “no” because he felt the ban was overly broad.

“If I was in your shoes I would be screaming mad,” he told the neighbors at the meeting. But he said the ordinance should be amended to exclude areas that have been granted temporary zoning that allows for lots one acre or larger.

One such area is in the Ponderosa neighborhood. Resident Gail Stiltner said she feels existing ordinances could take care of any problems that arise, and things like snowmobile and other off-road vehicle use on large lots haven’t been a problem there in the past.

The rest of the testimony at Tuesday’s meeting, though, supported the ordinance as written.

“We want to put this thing behind us,” Richard Schatzka said.