An engineering firm has released its proposed five-year master plan of the state's new ATV park in Berlin.
The park officially opened this summer with 14 miles of trails on 72 hundred acres near Jericho Lake.
But if development goes through as proposed, those miles of trails will multiply nearly tenfold attracting several hundred riders a day.
And in the end, officials hope the park will become a powerful economic engine for the North Country.
NHPR correspondent Todd Wellington has the story.
AFTER AN INTRODUCTION, WALTER ELANDER OF HORIZONS ENINEERING STOOD IN FRONT OF MAPS AND DIAGRAMS AT BERLIN CITY HALL
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(THANK-YOU CHRIS...JUST TO GET STARTED I’M GOING TO HAND OUT COPIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMERY...I THINK THERE’S ENOUGH...â€)
THAT SUMMARY OUTLINED AN AMBITOUS PLAN.
SQUIGGLY LINES ON THE MAP REPRESENT 136 MILES OF TRAIL SPLIT INTO DIFFERENT ABILITY LEVELS.
THEY INCLUDE 4X 4 TRUCK TRAILS, GRAVEL PITS, JUNIOR A-T-V TRAILS, MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS AND AN A-T-V EDUCATION AND TRAINING AREA.
THE PROPOSAL ALSO INCLUDES A GENERAL STORE, AN A-T-V WASH STATION, AND A 200-SITE CAMPGROUND.
ELANDER SAID HIS GROUP HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH BECUASE JERICHO IS THE FIRST STATE PARK IN THE COUNTRY DEDICTAED TO A-T-V’S.
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(“...THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC TEMPLETE OR NO SPECIFIC MODEL OUT THERE THAT WE COULD SORT OF PULL OFF THE SHELF AND SAY, ‘YEAH THIS IS HOW TO DO THIS KIND OF A MASTER PLAN.’ SO WHAT THAT MEANT WAS A LOT OF OUR WORK WAS BREAKING NEW GROUND.â€)
NEW GROUND AND A LOT OF MONEY.
THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE PROJECT IS 6.6-MILLION-DOLLARS.
AND DEVELOPMENT WILL OUT OVER FIVE-YEARS.
PHASE -ONE WOULD INCLUDE ADDING 55-MILES OF NEW TRAILS IN 2007.
THE REST WOULD BE FINISHED IN YEAR TWO.
WHEN IT’S COMPLETED, THE TRAIL SYSTEM COULD HOST UP TO 670 A-T-V’S ON ITS BUSINEST DAYS.
THE PLAN ALSO ESTIMATES PARK REVENUE AT 694-THOUSAND-DOLLARS A YEAR.
MOST OF THOSE WHO CAME TO SEE THE PRESENTATION WERE A-T-V RIDERS AND TRAIL CLUB OFFICERS -WHO SEEMED TO EMBRACE THE PLAN.
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(“...YEAH IT’S IT’S NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH...IT’S A GOOD PLAN, I THINK THAT FIVE YEARS IS REAL QUICK TO HAVE ALL THAT WORK DONE.â€)
THAT’S DAVID OSGOOD - TRAIL ADMISTRATOR FOR THE ANDOSCOGGIN VALLEY A-T-V CLUB - WHICH IS THE DESIGNATED HOST CLUB FOR THE PARK.
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(“..TWO YEARS TO GET 130 MILES OF TRAILS. THAT’S DECENT TIME. THAT’S ACCEPTABLE TO THE A-T-V COMMUNTIY, I THINKâ€)
ONE ASPECT OF THE PLAN THAT DID RECEIVE SOME SKEPTICISM WAS THE CAMPGROUND.
AS PROPOSED, IT WOULD INLCUDE PUBLIC BATHROOMS, SHOWERS, PLAYGROUNDS AND HOOK-UPS FOR 81 FULL SIZE R-V’S AND SITES FOR AN ADIDTIONAL 93 POP-UP TRAILERS AND TRUCK CAMPERS.
RANDY CHICETTO OWNS AN A-T-V AND SNOWMOBILE RENTAL SHOP RIGHT OUTSIDE JERCHO PARK.
HE SAYS HIS ONLY CONCERN IS THE SHEER SIZE OF THE CAMP GROUND AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IT CAN HOLD.
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(“...IF WERE GONNA LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THE THE PARK. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ALREADY IN THE PARK. SO YOU HAVE TO BE FAIR TO PEOPLE WHO DRIVE 200 MILES TO GET TO THIS PARK AND IT’S AT CAPACITY. “)
CHICETTO ALSO SAYS HE THINKS THE STATE SHOULD LEAVE LARGE CAMPGROUND DEVELOPMENT TO THE PIVATE SECTOR - PERHAPS ON LAND SURROUNDING THE PARK.
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(“…TO DEVELOP FOR THE AREA ECONOMICALLY IT HAS TO PROVIDE FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE TO HAVE A PIECE OF THE PIE AND I THINK THE STATE’S KINDA TAKEN A BIG CHUNK.â€)
HORIZON’S PLAN, HOWEVER, CALLS FOR NEARLY 70 PERCENT OF THE PARK’S REVENUES TO COME FROM THE CAMPGROUND.
THE STATE IS ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE DRAFT PLAN THROUGH DECEMBER 20.
FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I’M TODD WELLINGTON
