Sponsor seeks state authorization for Windsor residents to ride OHRVs on a short state road; neighbors warn of safety and enforcement gaps

Representative Rachey Colcomb asked the Senate Transportation Committee to approve House Bill 113, a narrowly drawn measure that would let Windsor’s select board authorize OHRV (off‑highway recreational vehicle) travel on two named stretches—Windsor Road and Black Pond Road—an unnumbered state road totaling about 1.8 miles through the town.

Colcomb told the committee Windsor is a small, tight‑knit town and that local residents have, by town vote about 12 years ago, permitted OHRVs on most town roads. The proposed statute would explicitly give the select board authority to authorize OHRV travel on specified segments of the state road, subject to public‑hearing requirements, abutter notification by certified mail, and signoff by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Safety. "We haven't enabled them that ability, and that's what this bill is doing," Colcomb told senators.

Several Windsor residents opposed the change. Claire Poulliott, who said she has lived on Windsor Road for 22 years, urged the committee to reject or delay the bill because manufacturers and safety studies, she said, warn that OHRVs are not designed for paved roads. Poulliott cited national OHRV fatality statistics and emphasized that the nearest state police troop is about 48 miles away, leaving little local enforcement capacity. "If an OHRV and an illegal street vehicle collide, the OHRV will lose," she said, adding that the town lacks a police department and that state enforcement is limited.

Ellen Blake, another resident, told senators that Black Pond Road and Windsor Road have limited sightlines, a 35‑mph speed limit and existing summer camp and school traffic at the road's terminus. She said the town already experiences unauthorized ATV use, including incidents involving a town official, and that expanding legal access would heighten noise, trespass and maintenance burdens on local roads.

Mike Ouellette, a state representative who said he serves on an HB study commission and has long participated in motorsports, testified in support and described these routes as trail connectors used to legally reach off‑road trails in some parts of the state. He disputed claims that opening the route would drive large volumes of new visitors to Windsor, saying there are no services such as gas or restaurants that would draw traffic.

Committee members asked a series of technical questions about maintenance responsibilities (the town performs winter maintenance; the state performs summer maintenance on the segment in question), existing town ordinances, and whether the change would supersede any local decisionmaking. Colcomb said the select board would still have to hold and advertise a public hearing, notify abutters and secure agency signoffs before authorizing any segment.

Chair closed the public hearing without taking a final committee vote that day and said action will most likely be scheduled for the next committee meeting. The committee requested maps and procedural clarifications and encouraged further discussion among stakeholders before voting.

What happens next: The committee closed the public testimony phase; senators will consider amendments and a potential vote at the committee’s next scheduled meeting.