With snow-packed sidewalks, Mineola pedestrians have to take to the streets to get to a destination, but the diversion could prove costly if walkers are unseen by speeding drivers. Mineola village officials say they’ll look to address private home clearing, by summons or otherwise.
“One of these days, someone is going to walk out past a snowbank and not get seen and we’re going have a real accident on our hands,” said 30-year resident Jessie Smith of Horton Highway. Smith took issue with private homes.
“I know [the Village of Mineola] enforce[s] the code for commercial properties on their sidewalks, but maybe someone should take a look at private homes because there’s at least six homes on Horton between Jericho [Turnpike] and Garfield [Avenue] where snow hasn’t been shoveled from three weeks ago,” Smith said.
Streets near schools would receive special attention, officials said.
“We’ll look at private homes not shoveling out,” Mayor Scott Strauss said. “Certainly in areas where there’s a lot of school children; people go to and from.”
According to the Mineola Village Code, property owners are responsible for snow removal on sidewalks abutting their land.
“The snow being thrown in the street is another pet peeve of mine,” Strauss said.
Mineola issued 242 tickets on March 1 to vehicles parked on village roads during the recent snowstorm. The village code prohibits cars on roads if two or more inches of snow is forecast. Vehicles must remain off streets until 24 hours after snowfall ends or until plowing is completed.
“I felt bad for the guys who were doing the plowing,” Smith said. “They were weaving in and out.”
Plows, according to Public Works Superintendent Tom Rini, are considered emergency response vehicles by New York State. Therefore, if a plow hits a car parked on the street, the vehicle owner’s insurance will not cover the accident.
“Accidents do occur,” he said. “If our vehicle hits your vehicle, you’re not covered. Just so people understand. If that what it takes to get people [to get their car off the road].”
Twelve Mineola businesses were recently summonsed by the building department after winter storm Juno dumped 17 inches of snow in the village. Snow removal is written into most agreements made with potential business owners to combat plowing issues and car displacement in Mineola.
“We give them enough time remove the snow,” Strauss said. “When they refuse to [comply] by a knock on a door or a phone call, then we have to give them a summons. You’re supposed to shovel sidewalk to sidewalk. Not a little path.”
The former Entenmann’s Bakery Outlet property, which will give way to a Walgreen’s after the Mineola Village Board approved a plan to raze the building, was summonsed twice.
“It’s a sensitive subject,” Smith said of tickets. “But for some of these people, if they get a ticket one time, it’ll only take one time.”
