STAUNTON – Staunton is assuring residents that they will not immediately jump to issuing citations regarding sidewalk snow removal difficulties after a strong backlash over a Jan. 26 city social media post.
City Manager Leslie Beauregard announced that the weekend snow storm was officially over for the city at 8 am Monday. The snowfall total was seven inches, which was determined based on reports from public works taken from different locations in the city.
Based on recently changed sidewalk snow removal policies, residents and businesses adjacent to sidewalks have 24 hours to clear snow from sidewalks. Staunton confirmed this was the case in a Facebook post on Monday, saying, “We know this is a big ask. This snow is heavy, packed with sleet, and temperatures are dropping. It’s going to be hard work. Please do your best. We’re prioritizing community cooperation over citations.”
Staunton residents frustrated with sidewalk snow ordinance
A few hours later, there were more than 300 comments on the post. Many were frustrated with the city for requiring residents to remove snow.
“I wholeheartedly support the City of Staunton almost 100% of the time. But this request rubs me the wrong way,” wrote Lynne Turner. “Our roads have not been touched. If the roads were too dangerous and difficult for road crews, surely we are not putting our 70 year old bodies in these conditions to clean our pavements. Get the fine as it is cheaper than the medical bills for a fall.”
“I did four passes of my sidewalk yesterday starting at 7:30 am….but then I took a nap and more snow fell and my shovel literally won’t penetrate the snow now…” reads a comment from Eric Coleman-Schallock.
“We have a man in front of our shops on Beverley trying to clear the ice and snow, but it’s almost impossible,” reads a comment from Words Matter Gift Shop. “He said that the snow plows have been going down the street too fast and pushing the snow from the street onto all the sidewalks up to against our windows. !!!! So the city has made it more difficult for us to clean in front of our shops!!! to be done or that the owners of the buildings and shops should only be responsible.”
“This is not normal snow,” wrote Jonathan Eric Rumph. “We’ve been out all day and barely made a dent in our driveway. Get help if you can. If not, go slow and don’t push yourself. I’ve been around snow a lot of my life including Wyoming and Utah, and this stuff is just awful this time.”
Plows are starting to clear Beverley Street and its side streets in Staunton as residents walk through the city center around midday on Sunday, January 25.
Staunton responds to critical comments on Facebook
After the comments, Staunton’s Communications Manager, Josh Knight, explained that the city will not restrict residents who are struggling to clean the sidewalks.
“The City understands that there are circumstances right now where shoveling is essentially impossible. The purpose of this ordinance is to keep people safe while walking, not to make life more difficult for residents. We’re not looking to cite people who are genuinely struggling to move through a frozen plow bank. Even some of our city equipment has struggled with the amount of snow, so we really understand the difficulty.”
Knight reiterated the original Facebook post, acknowledging that removal would be hard work.
“We are reiterating the ‘Do Your Best’ standard,” Knight wrote. “If you can shovel, please do. If you’re able and you see a neighbor struggling with a pile of plows, please help them. And if you absolutely can’t do it safely, we understand. We’re going to work through this together, not against each other.”
More: School closures announced for January 27
More: How much snow fell in Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County?
Lyra Bordelon (she/her) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader. Have a story or feedback? It is welcomed by email to lbordelon@gannett.com. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on the Staunton News Leader: Staunton sidewalk snow ordinance cleared due to freezing snow