Carroll Gardeners Not OK With Those Who Routinely Forget To Shovel Snow

 Photos of the corner of Union and Smith Street above taken by reader M. at 6 am this morning.

Photos of same corner at 9 am taken by reader B.

By 10 am this morning, PMFA had received not one, but two emails from Carroll Gardens residents complaining about the corner of Union Street and Smith Street that routinely remains unshoveled long after it stops snowing.
The emails were accompanied by photos of the sidewalk in front of Kittery, showing a rather treacherous layer of icy slush.Reader M simply captioned her photos: "Seen at 6am. They never salted. Or cleared."

Independandly, reader B. wrote:

"Just FYI, the Kittery landlord was in typical non-form yesterday and this morning. These pics are from 9 AM and in the few minutes I stood there taking pics, I saw an older woman and I think her mid-age daughter struggle across, then a younger professional woman wiped out. She was only walking too, no text & walk etc. I asked if she was OK and said, that was no “accident” btw, these people NEVER shovel on time.
I came back out at 9:45 & they had started shoveling but still, that’s (obviously) totally unaccepetable. Last night when I was I stopped in that gym next to Park Natural because THEY hadn’t done a thing, while Park Natural and the rest of blocks were spotless. Hate to admit it but the building management for the condos where Longshoremen’s Medical Center were ** are ** total pros and both sides of the building were perfect.
On the local level Food U Desire among the sidewalk heroes!"

Good neighbor! Food U Desire, on the opposite corner.

photo taken by reader B.

In January, after the first significant snowstorm, PMFA awarded  a neighborhood "Iciest Sidewalk Award" to illustrate that this issue continues to be a problem in the wintertime.

So here is yet another reminder to those who may not know or have conveniently forgotten that there is actually a law  regarding removal of snow from one's sidewalk
From New York City's Sanitation Department's web site:
"According to the NYC Administrative Code, every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any lot or building must clean snow and ice from the sidewalks adjacent (i.e., in front of, on the side of, in back of) to their properties.
If the snow stops falling between:
7:00 a.m. and 4:49 p.m. - you must clear within four hours
5:00 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. - you must clear within fourteen hours"

After this latest round of snow, who would you give the "Iciest Sidewalk Award" to in the neighborhood? Read more

After The Snow: The Award For Iciest Sidewalk In The Neighborhood Goes To....

(photo Credit: Brian)

South-West corner of Smith and Union Street at 11:20am on Saturday

Same property on Smith Street
Only a small path along the sidewalk had been cleared
Sunday, January 7 at 5 pm

Barely enough room for two people to walk next to each other.

Last night, same corner. Notice how small the path along Smith Street is.

Most owners or shop keepers in Carroll Gardens shoveled their sidewalk in a timely fashion after last Thursday's snowstorm, which dumped between 6 of snow on the neighborhood.

Others took a while before they got to it, making it difficult to navigate around certain properties.  However, some did not shovel at all or did the very least that they could do, while the snow turned to ice during the frigid temperatures this week-end.

Though I am sure there are quite a few such icy stretches along the neighborhood days after the actual snowstorm, here are just two that deserve the "Iciest Sidewalk" award. 

First is the property currently for sale on the South West corner of Smith and Union Streets. 

Carroll Gardener Brian reached out to PMFA on Saturday with a photo he took of the sidewalk on Saturday morning.

He writes:

"I’ve grown increasingly irritated with non-shovelers but this one is especially egregious. TerraCRG are commercial real company on Dean Street.
This [photo] is from 11:20 or so Saturday morning so PLENTY of time."

Brian contacted one of the agents listed on TerraCRG's 'for sale' sign posted on the property. He received an answer from Dan, the agent. According to Brian, Dan "wrote back apologizing, saying they're just the broker but they'll notify the owner."

Someone did eventually come to clear a narrow path along the stretch of sidewalk, but it was barely wide enough for one person.

We ventured out on Sunday evening at 5 pm to take a look for ourselves and took the additional photos above.  We were not impressed. A full three days after the storm, that sidewalk should have been shoveled properly.

Carroll Street between Bond and the Gowanus Canal along the EMS station

The EMS parking lot cleared, the sidewalk, not so much.

(photos courtesy of Michael)

The second winner of the 'Iciest Sidewalk Award' goes to...wait for it...the EMS station at 347 Bond Street.
Michael, another local resident, sent us photos of the station's sidewalk, which he took on Sunday
evening. He writes:
"Seems the parking lot has been cleared of snow, but the sidewalk has not. So near the EMS - a good place to slip and fall!!"
How insane is this?

Just as a reminder to those who may not know or have conveniently forgotten. It is actually the law to remove snow from one's sidewalk
From New York City's Sanitation Department's web site:

"According to the NYC Administrative Code, every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any lot or building must clean snow and ice from the sidewalks adjacent (i.e., in front of, on the side of, in back of) to their properties.
If the snow stops falling between:
7:00 a.m. and 4:49 p.m. - you must clear within four hours
5:00 p.m. and 8:59 p.m. - you must clear within fourteen hours"

Who would you give the award to in the neighborhood?

Read more