STANTON – Stanton is assuring residents that they will not be issuing citations immediately after a city social media post Jan. 26 on sidewalk snow removal difficulties.
City Manager Leslie Beauregard announced at 8 a.m. Monday that the weekend snowstorm is officially over for the city. A total of seven inches of snow fell, which was determined based on public works reports taken from various locations in the city.
Under the recently changed sidewalk snow removal policy, residents and businesses leaving sidewalks are given 24 hours to remove snow from sidewalks. Staunton confirmed it in a Facebook post Monday, saying, “We know this is a big ask. It’s snowing heavy, freezing, and temperatures are dropping. It’s going to be a tough job. Please do what you can. We’re prioritizing community support over citations.”
Staunton residents frustrated by sidewalk snow ordinance
A few hours later, the post had over 300 comments. 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 rubbed me the wrong way,” wrote Lynn Turner. “Our roads haven’t been touched. If the roads are so dangerous and difficult for drivers, we sure aren’t putting our 70-year-old bodies in this condition to clear our sidewalks. Bring on the fines because it’s cheaper than the medical bills for a fall.”
“I made four passes of my sidewalk yesterday morning starting at 7:30 a.m. … but then I took a crack and a lot of ice fell and my shovel won’t penetrate the ice anymore …” reads Eric Coleman-Schalak’s comment.
“We have a guy in front of our store in Beverly trying to clear the ice and snow, but it’s almost impossible,” reads a comment from Words Matter Gift Shop. “He said the snow plows are going too fast down the street and pushing the snow from the street over our windows to the sidewalk. !!!! So the city has made it difficult for us to clear our storefronts!!! When should that be done or should the building and store owners be solely responsible.
“This is no ordinary snow,” wrote Jonathan Eric Rumph. “We were out all day and just had a dent in our driveway. Get help if you can. If not, slow down and don’t push yourself. I’ve been snowed in most of my life, including in Wyoming and Utah, and this stuff is scary this time.”
Plows begin clearing Beverly Street and the side streets of Staunton as residents walk downtown on Sunday, Jan. 25 at noon.
Staunton responds to critical Facebook comments
Following the comments, Staunton Communications Manager Josh Knight said the city would not crack down on residents struggling to clear sidewalks.
“The city understands that there are situations right now where plowing is essentially impossible. The intent of this ordinance is to keep people safe on the move, not make life difficult for residents. We’re not trying to cite people who are really struggling to chip through the static plow bank. Even some of our city tools we’ve struggled with really hard amounts.
Knight echoed the original Facebook post, acknowledging that removal would be a difficult task.
“We are reiterating the ‘do your best’ criteria,” Knight wrote. “If you can shovel, please do. If you’re able and see a neighbor struggling with a pile of plows, please help them. And if you can’t do it safely, we understand. We’re going to work together, not against each other.”
More: School closure announced for January 27
More: How much snow fell in Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County?
Lyra Bordelon (he/she) is the public transparency and justice reporter at The News Leader. Do you have a story tip or feedback? Welcome by email lbordelon@gannett.com. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared in the Staunton News Leader: Staunton sidewalk snow ordinance cleared due to steady snow
