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On February 8, 2023, the Town of Silverton received a petition to establish a route for OHVs to operate within town limits. The Town Clerk found the petition to be sufficient, obtaining signatures from at least 5% of the registered electors in Town.

Currently, the petition is within the 40-day Protest Period, where citizens can file a protest against the sufficiency of the petition. If no protest is made, the Final Determination of Sufficiency will be made on March 22, 2023, and the Board of Trustees will then have 20 days from that date to consider the petition.

The initiative is intended to propose an amendment to Section 8-3-30 and establishment of subsequent sections of the Silverton Municipal Code to address operation of Off-Highway Vehicles (hereby referred to as OHVs) on certain Town of Silverton streets.

Off-highway vehicles are defined in Sec. 8-3-10 of the Silverton Town Code as “any self-propelled vehicle which is designed to travel on wheels or tracks in contact with the ground, which is designed primarily for use off of the public highways, and which is generally, and commonly used to transport persons for recreational purposes.” Off-highway vehicles do not include vehicles designed and used primarily for travel on, over or in the water, snowmobiles. military vehicles; golf cars; vehicles designed and used to carry disabled persons; vehicles designed and used specifically for agricultural, logging or mining purposes; vehicles registered pursuant to Article 3 of Title 42, C.R.S.

The current Town of Silverton Municipal Code prohibits the use of OHVs on all Town of Silverton streets, alleys, and rights-of-way.

Proposed Initiative

Section 8-3-30 is hereby amended as follows:

In accordance with Section 33-14.5-108(1)(f) of Colorado Revised Statutes, the sections of the streets described in section 8-3-40 below are established as a route for Off Highway Vehicle operation within the Town of Silverton

Section 8-3-40 is hereby established as follows:

1. The portions of streets designated as an Off-Highway Vehicle Route are as follows:

• The portion of Greene Street from 7^th Street to Town Limits connecting with County Road 2
• The segments of County Road 2 and County Road 110 Silverton Bypass that cross into Town Limits
• The portion of Blair from Greene Street to Town Limits connecting with County Road 2
• The portion of Blair Street between 10^th Street and 14^th Street
• The Portion of 7^th Street from Reese Street to Mineral Street
• The portion of Mineral Street and Cement Street from 5th, 6th, and 7th street to access RV parks contained within that loop.
• The portion of 9^th Street from Greene Street to Empire Street
• The portion of 10^th Street from Greene Street to Blair Street
• The portion of 11^th Street from Greene Street to Blair Street
• The portion of 12^th Street from Greene Street to Blair Street
• The portion of 13^th Street from Greene Street to Blair Street
• The portion of 14^th Street from Greene Street to Town Limits connecting with County Road 33

2. No person shall operate an off-highway vehicle in the Town pursuant to this article, except along the designated route described above in Section 8-3-40(a).
3. Town roads designated as OHV routes may be revised to expand for additional right-of-way access at the discretion of the Town Board of Trustees

A "Yes" Vote would allow OHV use on the route listed in the proposed initiative.

A "No" Vote would maintain the status quo, prohibiting OHV use on all streets, alleys, and rights of way within Town of Silverton limits.

BALLOT QUESTION:

“Shall a route be established to allow the use of Off-Highway Vehicles on streets in the Town of Silverton allowing for Off-Highway Vehicle access to businesses and trail-head access?”

To read Section 8 Article 3 – Off-Highway Vehicles (Sections 8-3-10 through Sections 8-3-30) of the Town of Silverton's municipal code, click the following link: https://bit.ly/TOSMunicode

Proposed OHV Route - https://bit.ly/ProposedOHVRoute

For all inquiries, please email info@silverton.co.us

The Town of Silverton Compass Master Plan has been approved and adopted by the Planning Commission on September 20th, 2022 and by the Board of Trustees on September 26th, 2022

Click HERE to view the Final Master Plan.