Table of Contents
Fernanda Stern and her 6-year-old daughter struggled to use the town’s sidewalks two days after last month’s blizzard to get to school from their home on Highland Avenue. Large mountains of snow had forced them to either walk on the street or in snow banks for weeks.
Snow build-up on sidewalks has become a hot topic of discussion since Stern posted on Facebook about her experience. Some people shared similar experiences.
The day after the Feb. 22-23 blizzard, Sarah Milt, who lives on Appalachian Road, set out to walk her dog on the sidewalk. Instead, she walked in the road after seeing a large snow pile that neither she nor her dog could climb.
In response to Stern’s post, some residents claimed it was the property owners’ job to shovel their sidewalks, while others said it was the Winchester Public Works Department’s job.
“There’s no accountability there because we think the neighbors will do it, the neighbors think DPW will do it, and at the end, nobody does it,” Stern said.
So who is actually responsible? It varies by community.
Some surrounding communities – Arlington, Medford and Stoneham – require residents to plow or shovel their own sidewalks.
Winchester is different.
The town’s bylaws state that commercial property owners are responsible for maintaining their sidewalks; failure to do so can result in a $10 fine. However, homeowners are exempt from this rule.
On its website, the Public Works Department has two maps showing the areas it is responsible for shoveling and plowing. Highland Avenue is included in its responsibilities. About 36 hours after the post, Stern said, the department cleared the sidewalk of snow.
The website warns residents that it may take between 24 and 48 hours for sidewalks to be cleared after a snowstorm.
DPW Director Robert LaBossiere said it can take longer for crews to clear sidewalks, depending on the storm’s severity.
Delays in snow removal can result from the breakdown of machines, including snow blowers, which often get clogged. The process is further delayed as the department waits for a mechanic and the repair parts to come for the broken-down machines.
Snow removal is also slowed by residents illegally pushing excess snow from their driveways into sidewalks or roads.
Town snow-removal workers often work for 30 or so hours, LaBossiere said.
“It’s not a glamorous position to be in for these guys, so it wears on them,” he said. “But they do the best they can.”
Workers stayed out from Sunday night, Feb. 22, until midnight on Monday, Feb. 23, to clear roads during and after the blizzard. Then they were out again Tuesday morning, Feb. 24, to clear the sidewalks, LaBossiere said.
Even with the town’s consistent work, LaBossiere said, it can take at least four days to fully clear all the snow from a major snowstorm, like the Feb. 22 blizzard that dropped 18 inches on Winchester.
However, residents are left unaware of the town’s plowing routes or its struggles with the storm. Milt said she learned about constraints on the department from a friend who works in a neighboring town’s public works department.
Town Manager Christopher Senior said Winchester needs to work on its communication. He said he hopes the town newsletter and social media accounts will help residents understand the snow removal process.
Shamus Brady, a Select Board candidate, said he plans to introduce a new bylaw that would require residents to shovel their own sidewalks. He also said he wants to start a high school volunteer team to shovel sidewalks for residents who are physically and financially unable to do so.
“I want the kids and those with mobility issues to be able to walk [around town],” Brady said.
The bylaws would require police to enforce sidewalk shoveling and residents to clear their sidewalks before school starts. This proposed bylaw must be submitted by March 13, along with 10 signatures in support, before it can be brought to the Spring Town Meeting for discussion.
Tavishi Chattopadhyay is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
