Politics & Government

Village Passes New Snow-Removal Law

All residents, businesses must clear snow and ice from properties within a certain time.

The Village of Lynbrook passed a law Monday that will require all village residents and business owners to clear their properties of snow and ice within a certain period of time.

While the law applies to both residents and businesses, village officials say the focus is more on commercial property owners, some of whom did not clear their parking lots and sidewalks for several days after snowstorms this past winter.

"We needed something in the code for certain situations where we get multiple complaints on properties that fail to comply with the already-existing snow removal code," said Brian Stanton, superintendent of the village's building department.

The law states that anyone who owns or leases property in Lynbrook must remove snow and ice within two hours of precipitation stopping — by 11 a.m. if the snow stops overnight, 11 p.m. if it stops in the evening. The law applies when snowfall is two inches or more.

If the building department finds that a residence or business has not made an effort to clear their property, officials will provide notice that they have five hours in which to do so. If the property still is not cleared, the village will bring in an outside contractor to shovel and/or plow. The village pays the bill at first, but that cost is later levied as a tax on the property owner.

While village officials did not mention any specific businesses, they said there were quite a few instances this past winter in which residents could not walk in areas near the railroad station and in Lynbrook's downtown area because of the large buildup of snow in front of certain stores.

"We have children walking to school and stepping out into the street," Stanton added. "And we don't want to see anything happen to them."

Lynbrook Mayor Bill Hendrick agreed, explaining that the law is focused on improving public safety.

"It's dangerous," he said of snow and ice left on sidewalks. "There were five, six days when people did not shovel the front [sidewalk] outside their house. The mailmen are slipping around, volunteer firefighters run into an icy condition … it's just not fair and it's not right."

Bill Gaylor, owner of the Lyn Gift Shop on Atlantic Avenue, said that one troublesome location is at the former Tofu restaurant on Sunrise Highway. Last winter, the sidewalk in front of that property was not cleared, and Gaylor recalls having to step into Sunrise Highway to get around the snow on his way to Pearsall's Station.

Gaylor is also the president of the Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce, and said that most of the business owners he knows are responsible in clearing their properties. The law, he said, will hopefully ensure that all businesses comply.

"I think the whole purpose of the law is good because there are people who did neglect their responsibilities to remove the snow, thereby creating a hazard to people who are working," Gaylor said. "I am completely in favor of the law. I think everybody should be taken into consideration when we do the enforcement."


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