11.B) Ordinance to Amend the Frederick County Code, Chapter 158 Vehicles and Traffic; Article IV Law Enforcement of Private Roads and Streets, by the Addition of Section 158-18.1 Definitions, 158-18.2 Operation of Golf Carts and Utility Vehicles on Public Highways Prohibited; Exceptions and 158-18.3 Violations and Penalties. The Purpose of this Proposed Amendment is to Allow the Use of Golf Carts and Utility Vehicles on Private Roads and Streets in the Lake Holiday Community (“The Summit”).
I am writing as a resident of Lake Holiday to express my strong support for permitting the use of golf carts on our community roads. I believe that a well-regulated allowance of golf carts will bring meaningful benefits to our residents while still upholding the highest safety standards.
Not only did Polling showed strong support for them Golf carts offer numerous advantages for our community:
Community Engagement & Accessibility: Golf carts promote social interaction and community cohesion by making it easier for neighbors—particularly older adults and those with mobility challenges—to get around the neighborhood, attend events, or visit neighbors.
Environmental Benefits: As low-emission vehicles, electric golf carts reduce the community’s carbon footprint and noise pollution, contributing to a cleaner and quieter environment.
Reduced Traffic Congestion: Golf carts are compact and help reduce the number of full-sized vehicles on the road, easing congestion and improving overall traffic flow.
Enhanced Quality of Life: The ability to use golf carts offers a lifestyle amenity that residents actively want, and it aligns with the recreational and family-oriented character of Lake Holiday.
We are also committed to addressing safety concerns through concrete, enforceable measures. Our proposal includes:
Mandatory Insurance for all golf carts to ensure liability coverage in the event of an accident.
Annual Safety Inspections, ensuring each golf cart meets mechanical and operational safety standards.
Seat Belt Requirements for all passengers to enhance occupant protection.
Driver Accountability, including age restrictions and education about road rules for golf cart operation.
While we respect the concerns raised by some community members regarding safety, we believe these fears can be substantially mitigated through the outlined requirements. In fact, by adopting this framework, we can make golf cart use not only safe but also a positive asset to our community.
Well, I don't think I can provide much more detail beyond what our august former board presidents, Ms. Majewski and Mr. Traczyk, have already said. However, I can add a different prospective. I walk the streets of Lake Holiday almost every day. I experience the less than perfect safety of our streets in a visceral way. I'm able to walk on the shoulder, such as it is, most of the time, and even then, vehicles whip around bends and display lack of regard for the more vulnerable. Golf carts will just add to an already less than ideal situation. We don't have a golf course. No one has expressed a legitimate reason why we need golf carts. Most residents don't want them, no one needs them and, I can only hope the County board of supervisors displays more common sense than our current board of Lake Holiday of directors have. Thank you for your attention and for doing the smart thing.
Respectfully & hopefully, Richard Carlisle (Lake Holiday home owner)
Dear Frederick County Supervisors:
I strongly urge you to vote against the proposed ordinance permitting golf carts in Lake Holiday. As a resident of Lake Holiday, former President of Lake Holiday Country Club’s Board of Directors and past Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, I have seen the impact of policies on community safety. This ordinance introduces serious risks that could endanger residents, particularly children.
Despite an online survey showing that more residents opposed the proposal than supported it, the Board of Directors has moved forward. However, the safety concerns are undeniable. Our streets are narrow, with no curbs or sidewalks, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to navigate alongside vehicles. Drainage ditches line the roads, while steep hills and sharp curves drastically limit visibility. Speeding, reckless driving, passing slow moving vehicles and stop sign violations are already major problems—adding golf carts will only make matters worse. Trucks towing boats drive in the middle of the road on curves.
These vehicles are open on the sides and usually do not have back seat seatbelts. They can tip over on steep curves with children often traveling in the back seats.
Lake Holiday is a gated community with limited law enforcement presence. The sheriff’s office has stated that patrolling our roads is not a priority, and our security staff is focused on gate management, beaches, and the clubhouse—not traffic control. With compliance fines of only $50, there is little incentive for reckless drivers to change their behavior. We also fear that children, with little to no driving experience, will take control of these vehicles, creating a disaster waiting to happen.
This ordinance does not enhance safety, nor does it provide meaningful benefits to the community—it only creates dangerous conditions. For the well-being of Lake Holiday residents, I strongly urge you to reject this proposal.
Sincerely,
Richard Traczyk
We are 20 homeowners who reside at Lake Holiday Estates in Cross Junction, Virginia (Gainesboro District). We are concerned that our Board of Directors is requesting the Frederick County Board of Supervisors to approve an ordinance permitting golf carts to be driven on Lake Holiday roads.
In July 2024, the LHCC Board of Directors voted 5-4 to send a request letter to the county attorney and the Board of Supervisors. This letter was written entirely by a resident promoting golf carts. In August, the Lake Holiday Board voted to conduct a community-wide survey to determine the number of people who wanted golf carts on our roads. 550 owners responded (one vote per lot). 279 were opposed and 271 were for street driven golf carts. Those opposed expressed their concerns for safety. When the survey results were presented to the Lake Holiday Board of Directors, there were only 8 directors present. The vote was 4 to 4 for a motion to rescind the petition. Thus, the vote failed, and Lake Holiday did not rescind the request.
Lake Holiday is a community of narrow, curving, twisty, hilly roads with extremely limited visibility in many cases. There are no center lines and no shoulders on the sides, just ditches to capture rainwater. There are no sidewalks. Walkers and cyclists must be in the road. Many people tend to drive near the center of the road, especially around tight curves. This is already treacherous due to large trucks and vehicles towing boats speeding around these curves. Residents and visitors regularly ignore speed limits as well as stop signs.
Please do the right thing for our community and reject our Board’s proposed petition.
The Lake Holiday board made this request prior to the results of a poll of the LH residents. The poll results found more redient responses against than in favor of this golf carts on the roads. I went to a LH board meeting to disagree and ask them to rescind their request based on a number of concerns. It is not a question of whether the carts could operate safely it is the concern that the roads in our neighborhood (curves, hills) create a hazardous condition to operate such vehicles. As a community the traffic safety issue is already evident with the installation of speed monitoring devices, speed bumps and repeated social media posts about unsafe drivers who speed, drive erratically, and pass other autos with out proper clearance . The addition of a slow moving vehicle will just increase the number of drivers acting usafely around the golf cars and increase the number of accidents. There are no appropriate shoulders on the road to allow a cart to pull over when it can't make it up the hills to allow other drivers to pass. The approval of the public safety committee must not have been based on experience with our roads. It is my understanding that this type of vehicle would not require insurance coverage which means that any accident or property damage by a golf cart would be paid by the victim/owner of damaged property. It is discouraging that the desires of the few who want such a convenience override the safety concerns for a neighborhood. Please do not approve the request.
I am writing as a resident of Lake Holiday to express my strong support for permitting the use of golf carts on our community roads. I believe that a well-regulated allowance of golf carts will bring meaningful benefits to our residents while still upholding the highest safety standards.
Not only did Polling showed strong support for them Golf carts offer numerous advantages for our community:
Community Engagement & Accessibility: Golf carts promote social interaction and community cohesion by making it easier for neighbors—particularly older adults and those with mobility challenges—to get around the neighborhood, attend events, or visit neighbors.
Environmental Benefits: As low-emission vehicles, electric golf carts reduce the community’s carbon footprint and noise pollution, contributing to a cleaner and quieter environment.
Reduced Traffic Congestion: Golf carts are compact and help reduce the number of full-sized vehicles on the road, easing congestion and improving overall traffic flow.
Enhanced Quality of Life: The ability to use golf carts offers a lifestyle amenity that residents actively want, and it aligns with the recreational and family-oriented character of Lake Holiday.
We are also committed to addressing safety concerns through concrete, enforceable measures. Our proposal includes:
Mandatory Insurance for all golf carts to ensure liability coverage in the event of an accident.
Annual Safety Inspections, ensuring each golf cart meets mechanical and operational safety standards.
Seat Belt Requirements for all passengers to enhance occupant protection.
Driver Accountability, including age restrictions and education about road rules for golf cart operation.
While we respect the concerns raised by some community members regarding safety, we believe these fears can be substantially mitigated through the outlined requirements. In fact, by adopting this framework, we can make golf cart use not only safe but also a positive asset to our community.
Well, I don't think I can provide much more detail beyond what our august former board presidents, Ms. Majewski and Mr. Traczyk, have already said. However, I can add a different prospective. I walk the streets of Lake Holiday almost every day. I experience the less than perfect safety of our streets in a visceral way. I'm able to walk on the shoulder, such as it is, most of the time, and even then, vehicles whip around bends and display lack of regard for the more vulnerable. Golf carts will just add to an already less than ideal situation. We don't have a golf course. No one has expressed a legitimate reason why we need golf carts. Most residents don't want them, no one needs them and, I can only hope the County board of supervisors displays more common sense than our current board of Lake Holiday of directors have. Thank you for your attention and for doing the smart thing.
Respectfully & hopefully, Richard Carlisle (Lake Holiday home owner)
Dear Frederick County Supervisors:
I strongly urge you to vote against the proposed ordinance permitting golf carts in Lake Holiday. As a resident of Lake Holiday, former President of Lake Holiday Country Club’s Board of Directors and past Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, I have seen the impact of policies on community safety. This ordinance introduces serious risks that could endanger residents, particularly children.
Despite an online survey showing that more residents opposed the proposal than supported it, the Board of Directors has moved forward. However, the safety concerns are undeniable. Our streets are narrow, with no curbs or sidewalks, forcing pedestrians and cyclists to navigate alongside vehicles. Drainage ditches line the roads, while steep hills and sharp curves drastically limit visibility. Speeding, reckless driving, passing slow moving vehicles and stop sign violations are already major problems—adding golf carts will only make matters worse. Trucks towing boats drive in the middle of the road on curves.
These vehicles are open on the sides and usually do not have back seat seatbelts. They can tip over on steep curves with children often traveling in the back seats.
Lake Holiday is a gated community with limited law enforcement presence. The sheriff’s office has stated that patrolling our roads is not a priority, and our security staff is focused on gate management, beaches, and the clubhouse—not traffic control. With compliance fines of only $50, there is little incentive for reckless drivers to change their behavior. We also fear that children, with little to no driving experience, will take control of these vehicles, creating a disaster waiting to happen.
This ordinance does not enhance safety, nor does it provide meaningful benefits to the community—it only creates dangerous conditions. For the well-being of Lake Holiday residents, I strongly urge you to reject this proposal.
Sincerely,
Richard Traczyk
We are 20 homeowners who reside at Lake Holiday Estates in Cross Junction, Virginia (Gainesboro District). We are concerned that our Board of Directors is requesting the Frederick County Board of Supervisors to approve an ordinance permitting golf carts to be driven on Lake Holiday roads.
In July 2024, the LHCC Board of Directors voted 5-4 to send a request letter to the county attorney and the Board of Supervisors. This letter was written entirely by a resident promoting golf carts. In August, the Lake Holiday Board voted to conduct a community-wide survey to determine the number of people who wanted golf carts on our roads. 550 owners responded (one vote per lot). 279 were opposed and 271 were for street driven golf carts. Those opposed expressed their concerns for safety. When the survey results were presented to the Lake Holiday Board of Directors, there were only 8 directors present. The vote was 4 to 4 for a motion to rescind the petition. Thus, the vote failed, and Lake Holiday did not rescind the request.
Lake Holiday is a community of narrow, curving, twisty, hilly roads with extremely limited visibility in many cases. There are no center lines and no shoulders on the sides, just ditches to capture rainwater. There are no sidewalks. Walkers and cyclists must be in the road. Many people tend to drive near the center of the road, especially around tight curves. This is already treacherous due to large trucks and vehicles towing boats speeding around these curves. Residents and visitors regularly ignore speed limits as well as stop signs.
Please do the right thing for our community and reject our Board’s proposed petition.
Majewski, Martel, Traczyk, Hardgrave, Ely, Hilder, Noble, Mesheske, Greenwell, Willey, Coates, Ekberg, Poyer, Kost, Watts, Shenenberger, Ward, Rothman, Woloshyn, Baldwin
P Majewski (former President 2015, 2017, 2023,2024)
Patricia Majewski - 104 Carolyn Dr (Former LHCC Board President 2015, 2017, 2023, 2024)
The Lake Holiday board made this request prior to the results of a poll of the LH residents. The poll results found more redient responses against than in favor of this golf carts on the roads. I went to a LH board meeting to disagree and ask them to rescind their request based on a number of concerns. It is not a question of whether the carts could operate safely it is the concern that the roads in our neighborhood (curves, hills) create a hazardous condition to operate such vehicles. As a community the traffic safety issue is already evident with the installation of speed monitoring devices, speed bumps and repeated social media posts about unsafe drivers who speed, drive erratically, and pass other autos with out proper clearance . The addition of a slow moving vehicle will just increase the number of drivers acting usafely around the golf cars and increase the number of accidents. There are no appropriate shoulders on the road to allow a cart to pull over when it can't make it up the hills to allow other drivers to pass. The approval of the public safety committee must not have been based on experience with our roads. It is my understanding that this type of vehicle would not require insurance coverage which means that any accident or property damage by a golf cart would be paid by the victim/owner of damaged property. It is discouraging that the desires of the few who want such a convenience override the safety concerns for a neighborhood. Please do not approve the request.