KINGFIELD — A decision to allow ATV operators to ride on Route 27 through town will have to wait until the Maine Department of Transportation can weigh in on safety and traffic management issues.

The Kingfield Quad Runners ATV Club addressed selectmen and townspeople on Monday night, asking to connect trailheads at each end of town by riding through the village.

“We really feel our small group has exhausted the options we have (across private property),” club Vice-President David Trenholm said at the packed public hearing. “If we’re denied access by a landowner, we’ve thanked them for their time and tried to find another route. This is our last option.”

Six of the seven western Maine ATV clubs, with support of the non-profit High Peaks Alliance, plan to publish a Moose Loop map, similar to the snowmobilers’ Black Fly Loop, which links trails across the state. Riders would use the map to get to gas stations, restaurants, hotels and other area business as they travel through western Maine.

The club has gone door to door, according to Trenholm, to get access to connect the two trails and be part of the Moose Loop, but Kingfield will not be on the map without state DOT and town approval.

Dan Mitchell, executive director of the statewide organization ATV Maine, spoke of the economic benefits of attracting snowmobiles and ATVs.

“Recreational riders spend about half a billion dollars in Maine, according to a study the Department of Conservation did in 2005,” he said. “That doesn’t take into account the economic benefit from owners who trade in their vehicles every few years.”

The ATV club has requested a one-year trial period, including a curfew and trail signage. They would follow the same rules as motorcycles on streets and would park at the Fire Department’s lot or behind businesses in designated spots.

“What’s the process for revoking the privilege if it doesn’t work out?” one resident asked.

Board Chairman Heather Moody said selectmen would review violations and take appropriate action.

“Who’d be responsible for any damage to the fields along the river?” asked resident Betty Ann Listowitch.

The ATV clubs are expected to repair any damage, Moody said. The ATV Maine president suggested that the club consider investing in a gravel path to ride across the town-owned Gilmore and Newell fields along the Carrabassett River.

Many residents asked for a lengthier study to review traffic safety, vehicle speed and parking issues. ATV club representatives will meet with the Village Enhancement Committee to address those concerns.

Selectmen will schedule a special town meeting during the first week of January to vote on the request, which will provide time to get DOT’s recommendations and still meet the club’s February deadline for the ATV Moose Loop map.