Description
This is not necessarily a request for plowing.
Rather, I wish to point out an inconsistency in how the City is defining a "sidewalk" in front of my house. If this section at the end of the stretch of pavement that dead-ends at my property is to be considered a sidewalk during the warmer months, it would stand to reason that it would benefit from snow removal as any other section of sidewalk in the city benefits. In practice, this becomes a section of sidewalk upon which additional snow is actually deposited. It's frustrating to receive a prompt ticket when we attempt to ease the parking congestion on the street by parking a car on this otherwise unused pavement. Seeing that we're again navigating another winter where this does not seem to be perceived as a sidewalk for the purposes of snow removal, I will again request that it not be considered a sidewalk during any other time of year.
Alternatively, you could remove this section of pavement all together and create a green space that would accommodate water runoff from the large puddles that accumulate on the adjacent two driveways. This runoff concern has been submitted a few times by myself and our neighbors.
I would be happy to coordinate with those who would facilitate the removal of the concrete and accept responsibility for maintaining a garden with plantings that can handle the snow piles deposited by the sidewalk plows each winter as well as the drainage needs during the warmer months.
also asked...
A. sidewalk
7 Comments
DPW Pine Customer Service (Verified Official)
Acknowledged DPW Pine Customer Service (Verified Official)
Jeanne K (Registered User)
And, given the limitations to parking in our neighborhood, I support his proposal to either declare this is NOT a sidewalk (to allow parking), or his alternative proposal, to make this a rain-garden area. This not only deals with the puddling from run-off, it will mitigate pollution run-off in the watershed.
Thanks for listening!
Troy Headrick (Registered User)
So ... either somebody clearly missed the point I was making with this post. Or you've got an employee willing to go rogue and respond to these notices with contrarian sarcasm. I'll offer the benefit of the doubt and assume the former.
With today's (March 14th) snow plowing activity, the City doubled down (maybe even tripled down) and really let me have it by simply shoving a wall of snow into the stairs that lead down from my side yard and onto this section of pavement. Again, this is not snow removal. This is a snow deposit. The opposite of what most people expect from the City with regard to the sidewalks near their homes. The opposite of a commitment to snow removal from city sidewalks.
Can we agree that it is silly for me to expect snow removal from this area? That I shouldn't expect this section of concrete to be treated as a sidewalk for the purposes of snow removal? I'm happy to concede this if I can simply get somebody to acknowledge that it is equally silly to have this section of concrete be treated as a sidewalk at any other time of the year. Can we get to that point of agreement?
And, again, let's have a conversation about removing it all together and creating more drainage/water collection/green space. Is that on the table?
Troy Headrick (Registered User)
Why can't I get an answer to this question or a response for continued dialogue? I'm serious about finding a solution. This, along with last year's concern is simply being ignored. Please let me know the best person to discuss this with.
Simply keeping these as "acknowledged" seems comically avoidant.
Troy Headrick (Registered User)
Burlington, VT (Verified Official)