ATV riding on Pittsburgh-area farm at center of dispute between neighbors
UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — A Westmoreland County family is fighting with their neighbors over what they do on their property.
It all started with a noise complaint from one homeowner, later turning into thousands of dollars in legal fees for a family, several township meetings and animosity between neighbors over ATV riding.
"It's definitely frustrating that government or anybody can tell you what you can or can't do on your own property," Keith Fulton said.
The Fulton family bought a farm in Unity Township a few years ago so their four boys could have a place to go "be kids," Fulton said. That includes riding their ATVs along the trails that run through the 34-acre property.
"People buy a farm in the country to do, as a friend of ours said, country things," Fulton said. "And I believe that's riding bikes, having a fire at night, and just being kids and being dirty."
The Fultons live in a residential neighborhood about 15 minutes away, and their farm is the place they go for peace and serenity. That was until one day last fall when they received a citation in response to a noise complaint, unbeknownst to them, made by farm neighbor Jackie Lindsey.
"They want to be able to ride their dirt bikes from sun up to sundown," Lindsey said.
"I understand everyone has the right to do what they want on their property," he added. "But you can't be bothering everybody else when you're doing it."
Without a noise ordinance in effect in the township, the only thing that could be done was to cite the Fultons for breaking the ban on "pleasure riding."
Since then, the family has requested meetings with officials asking for the township to relax the rules on dirt bike riding in an area zoned for farms.
"The ordinance was put in a few years ago in response to a local speedway that does create some noise," Fulton said.
"The township stuck the word private in there. So, that's how they're attacking township residents," he added.
Lindsey insists his goal is not to ban ATV riding, just to limit it to certain hours during the day. The Fultons said they're open to suggestions.
"Nobody says they can't ride their bikes," Lindsey said. "But if they just do it a couple of hours a day, it would be fine."
The Fultons say they'll be notified by mail when the supervisors come to a decision.