Protect The Right

Of Neighbors

To the Editor:

There are many reasons why the citizens of Newtown chose this community as the place they wanted to live. But surely among those reasons is the peace and tranquility one should be able to enjoy after arriving home from a busy and, in some cases, a tumultuous work day.

A city has its own unique sound, a hustle and bustle that is exciting, often noisy, filled sounds of traffic, pneumatic drills, street shows, demonstrations, loud radios, horns, delivery trucks, pollution, backfires, sirens, etc. Those are the sounds we expect and often enjoy when in a city. Now I don’t know about you, but when we moved here, that is not at all what we hoped to hear on a routine basis in Newtown.

Our dirt road, for example, is used as a raceway for off-road vehicles driven by those who like nothing better than to ride back and forth for hours and to rev their motors as they hit the bottom of a small incline hear our home. Lately, they have been fewer (I suspect because of more police oversight) but no less loud.

In addition, we have had dinner parties rudely interrupted by the sound of an ATV circling repeatedly and noisily for long periods of time on private property in the area and on at least one occasion after dark, at the least, making conversation difficult.

Pursuing hobbies and recreation activities as an alternative to job stresses and for fun is a necessary part of living; however, it should not come at the expense of the peace of mind of others or the enjoyment of their homes. Luckily, zoning regulations confine industrial activities to appropriate areas; heavy traffic to highways, the lights, late hours and shoppers of retail establishments to appropriate corridors of commerce, etc, with the purpose of ensuring the integrity of residential neighborhoods.

It is my hope that local government can come to terms with regard to noise, liability, designated space, and safety to accommodate the wishes of ATV operators as well as to protect the rights of their neighbors.

Very truly yours,

Don and Pat Hammalian

Washbrook Road, Newtown                                        August 29, 2004