Excellent idea, Neil!

Alexis de Tocqueville would be proud.

by Eric F. on Feb 10, 2010 9:13 am • link • report

Love it. The city is enthusiastic about ticketing cars in snow emergency routes (including ticketing on areas that are not SER), but seems very slack about ticketing property owners who don't clear their sidewalks.

by SJE on Feb 10, 2010 9:22 am • link • report

This brainchild of Neil is terrific. A proactive, problem solving event. I am astonished at the complaining on several neighborhood forums: no mail, no groceries, snow piled up, plows haven't come enough, plows are going to other streets rather than mine.

It is refreshing to see some members of the community come together to address issues rather than complain or depend on others. If I can get over there, I will join them!

by Andrew on Feb 10, 2010 9:46 am • link • report

I love it!

by Kaid@NRDC on Feb 10, 2010 9:50 am • link • report

The biggest problem with the snow clearing law is that there's little enforcement mechanism.

My understanding of how it works is that DPW would clear the sidewalk, refer the case to the Attorney General's office, and they would file a $25 lawsuit in DC Superior Court to recoup the cost.

That's idiotic.

I believe the Council has a bill before it that would allow DPW and DDOT to issue a civil fine to any property owner who fails to clear the snow from their sidewalk. That makes a whole lot more sense. But it won't be in place in time to be effective for this season's blizzards.

by Fritz on Feb 10, 2010 10:02 am • link • report

The worse non-shoveling offenders are the developers who own vacant buildings and empty lots that they're sitting on. Yes, I'm talking about you, Doug Jemal.

by Paul on Feb 10, 2010 10:05 am • link • report

Good for you. If I had a snow shovel, I'd join you (but I live in a condo and don't). The missus and I walked to WF yesterday, including a stretch along Nebraska where residents had managed to clear their front paths and driveways to the ground, yet didn't clear their sidewalks.

We helped a wheelchair-bound woman find a ride to Sibley because the M4 wasn't running and even if it were she wouldn't have been able to get on due to snow and slush. Hell, she couldn't get across the street. It tooks three tries before we found a volunteer SUV driver who would take her. Thankfully it wasn't an emergency. (And in hindsight maybe we should have called Sibley; but we didn't think of that at the time.)

by rdhd on Feb 10, 2010 10:05 am • link • report

"We will clear paths through sidewalks swamped by plowed snow, unusable bus stops, several elderly residents, and even a few frontages untouched by those responsible for them."

Are the elderly residents blocking the sidewalk and need to be cleared out, or are they stuck in the snow and need to be freed? :-P

by Teo on Feb 10, 2010 10:16 am • link • report

So you're going out at 4PM to do this work? What about the "cleared within 8 hours after the final snowfall" statement you made? You're going to chastise businesses before you even give them a chance to clean their sidewalks? SOunds like you're jumping the gun...

by Bob on Feb 10, 2010 10:24 am • link • report

Kudos, Neil!

@Bob -- I might be wrong, but methinks Neil is talking at least in part about sidewalks not shoveled from ... last Friday/Saturday's 20"+ dumping. Regardless, he can't possibly be accused of chastising whilst he putting his shovel and hands to work. C'mon, man. You're not being reasonable by any stretch.

by Dennis Jaffe on Feb 10, 2010 10:30 am • link • report

@Bob -- I stand corrected on there being no chastising. But still, methinks Neil & Co. are picking up after snow from last Friday/Saturday.

by Dennis Jaffe on Feb 10, 2010 10:44 am • link • report

Bob, we intend to go after only the most egregious offenders, principally those who shoveled their driveways but not the walkways, or as Dennis suggested, those who haven't picked up a shovel in weeks.

Irrespective, our plan is to focus on places where private interests failed - like the slushmounds at streets.

Also, for everyone here, we may be rescheduling because the blizzard conditions are expected to last until sunset. Stay posted.

by Neil Flanagan on Feb 10, 2010 11:06 am • link • report

Post your pictures & comments at the facebook page I'm sick of businesses in DC who don't shovel their walk:

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=roxana&init=quick#!/group.php?gid=453702530315&ref=ts

by Libbie Buchele on Feb 10, 2010 11:19 am • link • report

I was walking downtown last night, and I noticed a commercial property owner had used yellow caution tape to block off the entire sidewalk on both block faces of his building (Maybe F and 10th or thereabouts?)

They had a security guard stationed out to bark at people who might walk on their sidewalk.

Did anyone else see this? It looked like they just didn't want anyone walking on their sidewalk so they couldn't be sued if someone slipped. This, of course, forced people to walk in the street.

by Joey on Feb 10, 2010 12:31 pm • link • report

"Good for you. If I had a snow shovel, I'd join you (but I live in a condo and don't)."

rdhd, Check with your building maintenance guy (or the condo president) ... chances are they'll have a shovel to lend you.

Which brings up something I find irritating ... we have a few 'group' houses on my street filled with apparently very healthy 20-something year olds. Most of the neighbors have shoveled their walks, and shoveled walks for elderly residents and even for vacant houses. But these group houses never bothered to clear their sidewalks ... despite the abundant available labor of their residents. I remember living in a group house and our going out to buy communal shovels and salt and sand before a snowstorm. We didn't assume that the landlord should take care of it, nor would we want our neighbors to be incovenienced because of a lack of responsibility. Of course, this was in the 'burbs. Are group houses different here? I saw plenty of folks leaving those houses heading in the direction of the snow ball fight the other day ... so, I assume they're not all incompacitated and unable to shovel. I wonder what gives?

by Lance on Feb 10, 2010 12:42 pm • link • report

Good job! This city is lacking in snow etiquette! Last time, no one would even lend me a shovel after they were done with their own shovelling. (One dad went with his high school aged son to go sledding and the other dad had a snowblower but neither would lend me a shovel when I asked.) People in other cities shovel their properties so people can walk by and they lend to girls who need help!

by noshovel on Feb 10, 2010 1:19 pm • link • report

@ Joey -- I wasn't there, but perhaps there was ice on the windows above that was in danger of falling?

by ah on Feb 10, 2010 2:00 pm • link • report

@ Noshovel--because in DC the person you lend the shovel to probably wouldn't return it.

by ah on Feb 10, 2010 2:01 pm • link • report

As a 20-something living in a group house with same, all I can say is we definitely shovel here. I'm sorry some people in my demographic are inconsiderate.

We made the mistake of leaving our shovel on the porch a week ago, and it was "borrowed" and not returned, so we had to buy a new one.

by Scott F on Feb 10, 2010 2:05 pm • link • report

@Scott F, I wish you lived near me. Btw, I wasn't slamming all 20-somethings, just the ones in those particular houses ...

by Lance on Feb 10, 2010 2:42 pm • link • report

2010's "Double Wallop" is finally subsiding. Perhaps now we'll get a well-deserved break from the white stuff. Let's hope so.

by Snow on Feb 10, 2010 3:11 pm • link • report

@joey - yes - there are plenty of buildings like that downtown - the tape is to prevent people from walking where there is likelihood of snow/ice falling from the building facades

by andy on Feb 10, 2010 3:11 pm • link • report

Rumors of another snow event (hopefully small) on Monday. Phun times.

by NikolasM on Feb 10, 2010 3:36 pm • link • report

Just to let everyone know, we have postponed the event until tomorrow at 3PM due to high winds. So if anyone can make it more easily then, Please come out!

by Neil Flanagan on Feb 10, 2010 3:47 pm • link • report

"This city is lacking in snow etiquette!"

Best line I've heard yet...hits the nail exactly on the head.

by Froggie on Feb 10, 2010 5:32 pm • link • report

Neil, Kudo's to you! It's not really the businesses fault, i.e., Gold's Gym, because as a former employee of DDC (douglas dev) I can tell you that snow removal is normally included in the monthly rent and some people pay extra for services like trash and snow but *some* developers see this as a way to save on money and will cancel snow removal services and blame it on the company they hired. Developers save up to $10,000 to $50,000 during the winter by calling off typical services.

You want to believe you've made it to your destination safely only to find out the real threat is when you walk into the building.

by LS on Feb 10, 2010 6:23 pm • link • report

LS, I can't speak to the legal obligations, but the manager essentially told my source that it wasn't his obligation, even civilly. Moreover,he also had some employees shovel a path to the door for customers. I don't see why they didn't make some effort to pick up the slack from their landlord for the sake of being good neighbors.

by Neil Flanagan on Feb 10, 2010 6:51 pm • link • report

We are facing an extreme and unusual situation with these back to back snow storms. Hostile vigilantism toward business owners, who themselves may not be able to reach their businesses due to the storm & road conditions, is strikingly immature. If you want to help organize people to clear the public space, good for you. But, don't villainize before you know the circumstances.

by dan on Feb 10, 2010 7:48 pm • link • report

I completely agree, however, the problem here is that legally the gym becomes responsible for employees who get hurt. Landlord cannot be sued and its the gym's responsibility to pay workers comp. You know the bad part - DC government knows all about the shenanigans that developers play but won't intercede. And if they did, look at the numbers; developers can pay a small fine but still save thousands of dollars.

The only buildings and retail establishments that get full service are those tenants that pay really big money. And still they are getting the shaft one way or another. Your blog is great!

by LS on Feb 10, 2010 7:55 pm • link • report

I like the idea. Does anybody know what the law is in VA and MD? Or is it county law? What about grounds that are maintained by the HOAs?

I am curious what the legal obligations are here in the 'burbs, especially concerning the HOAs. Those clowns give out tickets when you leave your snow shovel on your front porch out in April, and laugh at the idea of having rain barrels, but are nowhere to be seen now, when there are plenty of folks not shoveling. A minority, but plenty.

by Jasper on Feb 10, 2010 10:06 pm • link • report

Dan: yes, the storms suck, and it might be hard for businesses and residents. But when you look at, e.g., Golds Gym did not shovel for 3 days, there is no excuse. I would assume that at least some of the employees are fit and strong enough to do a bit of shovelling.

In the end, we all have a responsibility, and if we cannot do it, we can hire someone.

by SJE on Feb 10, 2010 10:26 pm • link • report

I completely agree, however, the problem here is that legally the gym becomes responsible for employees who get hurt. Landlord cannot be sued and its the gym's responsibility to pay workers comp.

hmmm ... And if a passerby falls and gets hurt, everyone including the business owner as well as the landlord can and will get sued.

I do agree with dan about not demonizing the businesses. I really don't see how it's any more intolerable for a business to not have fulfilled its legal (and moral) obligations than a person (or persons) living alongside a city sidewalk. Each are equally obliged to do their duty, and each are equally culpable when they don't.

by Lance on Feb 11, 2010 4:44 am • link • report

I have just moved back to the city after 20 years away so I may not be the best person to comment but I must say that if I were not still getting lost in North Cleveland Park I would (ok, and if I had adequate clothing and footgear, which I do not yet) come help out. In theory I am a 15 minute walk from Tenleytown metro but my last outing somehow took me 58 minutes to get there! :-)

In any case, for both snow etiquette and community solidarity I think you have a wonderful idea, and hope other communities will follow your friendly example.
Kudos,
Peace
D.

by Destinie A. Jones on Feb 11, 2010 11:18 am • link • report

This is a fantastic idea. I have to say, with the exception of a hamburger place, it wasn't commercial places that were the worst offenders when I attempted to walk up to Tenleytown and then over to Nebraska Avenue without walking in the street and getting run over (no go to find a cleared sidewalk to Nebraska, unfortunately--not a surprise, after coping with the entire stretch of Nebraska Ave. to Connecticut Ave. in previous snowstorms, but disappointing). It was the post office, churches, whoever owns empty patches of ground (the city, in some instances), and owners of private residences who shamefully didn't shovel. Commercial businesses are not sensitive to shoveling out to the street and taking care of bus stops, as the city actually out and out asks them to, admitting it doesn't do it, but many sidewalks were clear.

by Ped on Feb 11, 2010 1:45 pm • link • report

I don't know if it was the public shaming in GGW that did it, but the ENTIRE sidewalk outside the Van Ness Gold's Gym was beautifully shoveled today. This is definitely a first for that place. I've lived in the neighborhood for a decade and they are a repeat offender.

by TJ on Feb 11, 2010 9:19 pm • link • report

Awesome! I think they got the idea in their heads - who cares how it happened.

by Neil Flanagan on Feb 11, 2010 9:22 pm • link • report