Davis Junction takes stand against ATV damage with no trespassing signs

DAVIS JUNCTION, Ill. (WTVO) — Davis Junction’s former water treatment grounds have experienced damage for years due to ATVs driving on the grounds.

Now, Village President Rick Wurm has taken action to stop the damage by ordering the placement of no trespassing signs in the area.

The village has received numerous complaints from residents about quads, motorcycles and dirt bikes destroying the land.

“We had multiple complaints from residents about quads, motorcycles, dirt bikes, stuff like that, running around in the land that used to be our old sewage plant and our water retention,” Wurm said.

Damage from off-road vehicles driving on the grounds has caused the soil to erode and the village’s funds to be depleted.

The president warned residents that the change may affect them as well.

“I inform the residents when they call and ask me to do it, I said that you understand this applies to walking your dog and flying kites and everybody else that’s out there using it until we can get better signage that just basically says no off-highway vehicles,” Wurm continued.

One resident’s stance has not changed, and said the decision is a step in the right direction.

“I’m concerned for the safety of the children who are riding their four-wheelers out here,” Susan Butt shared. “They can flip, they can get hurt. There’s nobody out here watching to make sure that they’re okay.”

The village hopes to attract residents to Davis Junction by providing more amenities in the area.

“I’d like to make it into another park to have a subdivision to the south… It’d be a nice place for one. It’s been an idea for quite a few years. We haven’t worked on what we can put [there,]” Wurm explained.

“There’s been lots of ideas between the dog park… We’ve [thought] about pickleball courts, tennis courts, something like that down there,” Wurm concluded.

The president said the village is in the process of receiving new signs that will exclusively ban dirt bikes and ATVs from the area.