COLRAIN — The Selectboard plans to speak individually with the remaining five homeowners who have not complied with the town’s unregistered vehicle bylaw.

Over the past several years, concerned citizens have complained to the Selectboard about an abundance of unregistered vehicles and other junk on residents’ lawns. Town Administrator Kevin Fox said he has received 20 separate complaints.

The town’s general bylaws, which were approved by residents in February 1967, state, “The keeping of more than one unregistered motor vehicle … on any premises shall not be permitted unless said motor vehicle is stored within an enclosed building.”

Section 4.1 of Colrain’s zoning bylaws state, “Open-air storage of junk, including inoperable motor vehicles, trash, debris, scrap materials and all other uses [that] are injurious to their neighborhood or to property in the vicinity are expressly prohibited.”

There is a $5 daily penalty for keeping more than one unregistered vehicle in open-air storage, according to the bylaw, but officials say this has not been enforced. Selectboard members indicated during their Aug. 22 meeting that they don’t plan to enforce fines to non-compliant residents.

“I am hesitant to start the fees,” said Selectboard member Emily Thurber. “With the economy being so bad, I would hate to start charging.”

Jane Johnson, a resident who has spearheaded the push to remove unregistered vehicles, noted at the Selectboard meeting that the bylaw does not say a person “may” be charged; rather, it says a person “will” be charged, so she argued the bylaw should be fully enforced.

Many of the vehicles in Colrain have already been removed since the initial complaints arose. However, there are still five homeowners who are not in compliance.

“There has been an amazing amount of vehicles that have left this town,” Johnson told the Greenfield Recorder. She credited former Selectboard member Michael Slowinski as being instrumental in the initial enforcement of the bylaw. He went to many of the homes and spoke directly with the property owners.

Unregistered vehicle owners who do not wish to remove their cars can apply for a permit to keep them. One resident who competes in demolition derbies applied and received such a permit.

Several residents are opposed to this bylaw, arguing that they should be able to do what they want on their own properties.

“Someone gets to tell me what I can and can’t do because it doesn’t fit their standards,” Ben Davenport said during the Aug. 22 meeting. “It is absolutely ridiculous.”

Opponents of the unregistered vehicle bylaw also say this is an inopportune time to start enforcing it, given that it’s demolition derby season.

Davenport also spoke out against complaints being filed with the town. Instead, he suggested that residents speak with their neighbors directly if they do not want unregistered vehicles near their property.

“It’s not fair to the great people in Colrain who have complied,” Johnson told opponents of the bylaw during the Selectboard meeting.

When describing some of the properties that still are not in compliance, Johnson noted that they happen to be located on Colrain’s major roads. She suspects there are even more non-compliant residents on the town’s smaller roads.

“We all own property in town,” she said. “Someday I want to be able to sell mine.”

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.