Snowmobilers will continue to share roads roads with larger vehicles as selectmen have voted down the request to only allow snowmobiles on the town’s Class VI roads during the winter.

Selectmen and residents present at a Jan. 10 meeting were concerned that giving access only to snowmobiles would restrict access for landowners on those roads, which are not maintained by the town.

While he understands the safety concerns of snowmobil-ers, Brian Tufts, chairman of the board of selectmen, said he wasn’t going to take away landowners’ access without a vote at town meeting.

The request to allow only snowmobiles on Class VI roads came from Pembroke resident Kevin Gagne, trail administrator for the New Hampshire Trail Dawgs Snowmobile Club.

Those Class VI roads are Hardy, German, Flag and Kimball roads, as well as Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Range Roads.

During the Jan. 10 meeting, the selectmen listened to concerns of Pembroke residents.

Carol Bertsimas of Pembroke said she rides her horses along the roads in question and she doesn’t like to see what large conventional vehicles have done to the roads.

“It breaks my heart,” she said.

Bertsimas asked how the town would keep ATVs from using the trails. Tufts said the town relies on the Trail Dawgs club to take care of things, as the trails are very difficult to police.

“It doesn’t make sense to have a law that you can’t police,” Bertsimas said.

Walter Norris, director of Public Works, pointed out that any group could go to the selectmen and request that snowmobiles not be allowed on the Class VI roads.

“These are still town roads,” he said. “We should really think about keeping these roads open to the public.”

Norris also said some of the roads, such as Hardy Road, end in a Class V road. “We certainly don’t want snowmobiles running into Class V roads,” he said.

Gagne assured everyone his club is just trying to make the trails safer by keeping big vehicles off them. “I know landowners have had their private property damaged when Jeeps and trucks go over private roads,” he said.

The club would like to work with other organizations that use the trails, such as horseback riders, to improve the roads, he said.

“We respect the horses,” Gagne said. “We stop for horses.” He said he didn’t know what to do with ATV riders.

Pembroke Police Chief Wayne Cheney said that, according to Fish and Game, ATVs do not have permission to be on Range roads.

Marc Boisvert, a Pembroke resident, pointed out that there are no signs saying ATVs are not allowed.

Selectmen will set up a committee to look at concerns.

“If everyone works together, I think this could be a valuable resource for the town,” said Selectman Bill Boudreau.