A large chunk of public property sticking out of the Missouri River on its east side just north of Bismarck has a lot of fans who use it in a variety of ways, sometimes overstepping the boundaries of common sense and creating concerns for those who call it home.

Monday evening the dirt bikers, ATV riders, hikers, bikers, boaters, nature lovers and sportsmen gathered under the auspices of the Burleigh County Park Board to discuss what can be done to preserve the property while keeping it open for everyone's use and not infringing on the rights of homeowners. Between 30 and 40 people gathered in the Tom Baker meeting room of the City-County Building to discuss the land located between Burnt Boat landing and the Grant Marsh bridge.

While it's often referred to as a sandbar, Frank Howe, who's trekked nearly every nook and cranny of the property - which is governed by the State Water Commission - since he was 10 years old, described it as much, much more.

"I grew up right by the train bridge. These islands, which everybody seems to think are two sandbars, are three miles long and a half a mile wide. They have many trees which are 30, 40 and even 50 feet high and all sorts of plant life and wildlife. I grew up hiking around there, and it's much more than a couple of sandbars," Howe said.

"At one time, I worked to preserve these islands and wanted to keep all the ATVs and motorized vehicles off," Howe said. "That was sort of selfish. … It's not my idea to stop people from using them. I want to see lots of people using them. But it needs to be regulated."

Homeowners such as Jeff and Cheri Underhill and Dick Scott complained to commissioners about the constant noise from the ATVs, which often confines them to the inside of their home, because it they couldn't even communicate outside. Noise that starts early in the morning and runs through the late evening hours as ATVs rumble through the rough terrain with the use of headlights. Cheri said ATV injuries were rising nationwide and that poor access to the area for emergency vehicles would certainly end in tragedy for someone.

"The two main issues to me are the noise and driving off established trails, that's what bothers me most," Scott said. "The noise is more than excessive, at times it's unbelievable. The only time I can sit on my deck is in the morning. By 6 p.m. we have to go inside to try and escape the noise."

Annette Caldwell, one of the owners of Open Road Honda, said she rides ATVs regularly in the area. "I'm one of 'them,'" she said. "I'm a responsible ATV rider who follows the rules. You talk a lot about those who break the rules and litter, unfortunately that's our species. Campers, bikers, hikers all litter, it's just not the ATV riders. I have empathy for those who complain about the noise at night and how frustrating that must be."

Caldwell and others said the area was big enough that perhaps riding trails could be established well away from developments, which would greatly cut down on the noise. Trails leading to more unrestricted areas could have speed limits posted.

Dave Moritz, Moritz Marine owner, offered a free ATV to whichever law enforcement organization would have jurisdiction over the area for patrolling.

"There are irresponsible riders. There are also irresponsible boaters. You can't regulate that," Mortiz said. "We have to find something that works for everybody. I'd like to see some restrictions to keep the people happy that aren't happy. Maybe limit some of the days and keep the hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., maybe one night a week let them go later. … Ultimately it comes down to common sense and you can't regulate common sense."

Most of those in attendance said they thought common ground could be found, leaving the area open for everyone.

Lembke said that at the next meeting of the Burleigh County Park Board on July 6 he would recommend working with the State Water Commission to come up with a lease allowing the county to manage the property.

"When I talked to the State Water Commission previously, they made one thing clear, that we would not be closing it off," Lembke said. "Honestly, this will take some time and we wont' be formalizing anything this year. But I think we have some solutions that can make this workable."

(Reach reporter Gordon Weixel at 250-8255 or gordon.weixel@bismarcktribune.com.)