Commissioners asked to consider WATVs in county
Charles H. Featherstone/Columbia Basin Herald County Commission Chair Cindy Carter talks with Moses Lake Mayor Tom Voth, Experience Power Sports General Manager Derek Smith and Sam Winzler of Winzler Vehicle Licensing about the possibility of allowing some wheeled all-terrain vehicles to use county roads south of Moses Lake.
EPHRATA — A group of Moses Lake business owners is asking Grant County to follow the lead of many the county’s cities and allow licensed, wheeled all-terrain vehicles (WATVs) on some county roads.
“The county can craft an ordinance any way they want,” Moses Lake Mayor Tom Voth told the Grant County Commission on Monday. “But the city would benefit if the county would allow individuals from the ORV park to drive into the city.”
Both was referring to the Off Road Vehicle Park in the sand dunes on the south shore of Moses Lake, a popular destination for off-roaders.
The Moses Lake City Council recently approved an ordinance that would allow licensed and approved WATVs — improved vehicles with mirrors and lights driven by a licensed operator at least 18 years old — to be driven on city streets and are not allowed to travel in excess of 35 mph.
According to Sam Winzler, owner of Winzler Vehicle Licensing in Moses Lake, allowing WATV drivers enjoying the dunes to ride properly-licensed WATVs into town on Potato Hill Road would be a convenience that would encourage even more off-road tourism to Moses Lake.
“One of the realities of people coming out in motor homes is they have to break camp and bring the whole train into town just to go to Safeway or Chevron,” Winzler said.
Voth said a county ordinance would also allow people to stay in Moses Lake while they drive their WATVs out to the dunes.
“We’re a lake people,” Voth said. “We like to recreate on our lake.”
While the county commissioners said they were happy to hear the proposal, they had concerns about speed, safety and the sheer lack of county roads that would be drivable by WATVs.
“It would only take one ATV to slow traffic down and upset a whole lot of people going into Moses Lake,” said Commissioner Richard Stevens of the request to open Potato Hill Road to WATV traffic. “If an individual is killed, we will be in the crosshairs of the people.”
“We’re not unenthusiastic,” Stevens continued. “We just have other things we need to consider. We need to listen to the sheriff, and we have to consider what the sheriff will say.”
The county already has a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, April 18, at 1:45 p.m. in the Grant County Courthouse, to consider allowing WATVs on the streets of Sunland Estates, southwest of Quincy.
Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.