WILTON — More than a dozen residents and all-terrain vehicle riders urged the Wilton Board of Selectpersons on Wednesday night to keep three streets open to ATVs and to consider opening additional routes, while others called for limits on ATV access.
The board held the meeting to gather public input as it begins drafting an ordinance to regulate ATV use.
About 85 people attended the session at Academy Hill School. Most were Wilton residents, while some riders from neighboring towns said they use their machines to travel into Wilton for shopping and entertainment.
Board Chair David Leavitt told the audience the meeting was the first step in collecting information for a future ordinance.
“It’s not going to happen tomorrow, folks,” he said.
The board rescinded the town’s ATV policy Jan. 6 after receiving legal advice that it was unenforceable because it was a policy rather than an ordinance. The policy had been in place since April 2022.
Three town ways remain open to ATV: Temple Road, from the Temple town line to Main Street in East Wilton; Main Street in East Wilton, from Temple Road to the Whistle Stop Rail Trail; Main Street, from Depot Street to the downtown memorial, with boat landing access via Canal Street; and Depot Street, from the Whistle Stop Rail Trail to Main Street.
Most of the people who spoke at the meeting were town residents. About a dozen wore T‑shirts from the Temple Trail Riders ATV club, some of whom also live in Wilton.
Justin Anderson, a Wilton resident and business owner, told the board that Maine’s outdoor recreation sector has become a $3.4 billion industry.
“The economy has changed,” he said. “We need to tap into this economy. The ATV is vital to bringing people into our town. We really need to provide access to our economy.”
While campaigning last week for reelection, Leavitt said Wilton should work to replace its lost manufacturing base — including Forster Manufacturing Co., G.H. Bass & Co. and Wilton Tanning Co. — by expanding recreational opportunities.
Nancy Merrow, who lives on McCrillis Corner Road and has previously asked the board to limit ATV access on town roads, argued that ATVs are not necessary for commuting.
“People have cars and trucks to get into town,” she said.
Merrow has also raised safety concerns. McCrillis Corner Road includes two sharp curves and two steep hills between Route 156 and Route 2. Town Manager Maria Greeley told the board on Jan. 6 that two ATVs had been involved in road crashes in 2025.
Greg Niva, a Wilton resident, said, “Instead of closing roads, I propose we open more roads to ATVs, like Greenville and Jackman.”
His comment drew the loudest applause of the night.
Two men spoke briefly to say they commute to work on ATVs to conserve fuel and save money. One said he does not own a car or truck and relies on his ATV as his primary transportation.
Nicki Girard, who lives in downtown Wilton, told the audience: “People are coming to downtown Wilton from Temple, Farmington, all over, and I think it’s great. Recreation is a huge business in this state.”
Diana Ladd, who lives in North Jay but said she used to live in Wilton, said she rides up Depot Street (Route 156) into Wilton to shop.
“I love to come into downtown,” she said.
Some speakers said noise was an issue. Others said dirt bikes and cars that backfire are noisier than ATVs. Greeley told the board in January that residents had complained especially about the noise made by dirt bikes.
“If dirt bikes are a problem, they need to be in the ordinance, too,” Eric Jones of Wilton said.
Maxine Brown, who lives on Temple Road, one of the three town ways open to ATVs, said the larger issue is enforcing ATV laws and regulations. She urged the town to close Temple Road to ATVs “until the town has an ordinance.” She said Wilton police patrolled her road for four hours over Memorial Day weekend and stopped several riders.
Al Mackey, a Wilton resident, said: “It’s great to see happy people on their ATVs, but then the next morning you see garbage all over the place. We need a strong ordinance and more enforcement. How do we drive the bad apples out?”
At the end of the 70‑minute meeting, Leavitt told the audience the board had not yet begun drafting an ordinance and would review other towns’ ordinances as possible models.
Correction: This story was updated June 12 to correct the town ways that remain open to ATVs.
