The City of Watertown provided the following information:
Starting this winter, the City of Watertown will begin Phase 2 of implementing the residential snow and ice removal ordinance by beginning to issue warnings to properties not compliant.
This ordinance requires the clearing of a 42-inch pathway of snow and ice from the sidewalk abutting one’s residential property within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. We understand the full effects of the ordinance may not be felt until Watertown is hit with a winter storm, so by issuing warnings only this winter and increasing our continued education efforts, we hope our community can be better prepared for the many winters to come.
This winter we are also encouraging our residents to help us gather an understanding of how we can better share information about this ordinance and gather a full understanding of sidewalks that might not be getting cleared 24-hours after a storm. You can help us by utilizing our 311 Service Center, where you can share photos of noncompliance directly with our team. This will help us more accurately enforce warnings and better understand how we can educate the community on this ordinance before implementing Phase 3 of fines in future winter seasons.
Please stay up to date with all Watertown winter news at the Watertown Weather Center and feel free to reach out to your Community Engagement Specialist, Tyler, at tcote@watertown-ma.gov with any questions!
This is a good policy but what about old people who can’t move snow and can’t find anyone to shovel in 24 hours.
I hope they won’t get some sort of ticket and a fine.
This winter they’re only issuing warnings as people adjust to the new rule. There is also a program to connect seniors who need help with people who are offering help: https://www.watertownmanews.com/2024/11/21/senior-snow-shoveling-program-accepting-applications-from-seniors/
Can the town I’m-lament a rule which prevents the plows from waiting until the storm is over before the plow in the driveways. All day long, they drive by and cleat the middle of the road. Then towards the end (right at the end) they come by and plow all the snow that hasn’t been plowed all day (from along the sides) thus creating a huge pile of wet/slushy snow at the end of the driveways. We then need to go out again, start the snow blower and clear this pile.
If it’s really cold, that pile freezes overnight and out is extremely hard to remove.
Been here 40 years. It’s the same every year.
I can further tell you that it is not lack of time. These plows come down my street very often. Just have the do the whole street, not just the middle.
I wrote to the Council a couple of times to urge a less-specific ordinance. Fine only repeat offenders who never shovel, but leave alone those who generally do. Every detail you write into the regulation has a “what about” response. Why mandate 42” when so many sidewalks are narrower? Why 24 hours to clear, when storms don’t always have clear cutoffs, and when people lead busy lives? What about snow melt that freezes on a shoveled sidewalk overnight? Does the town really want to make complicated what should be simple? We all know who usually shovels in our neighborhoods and who does not. It is only the latter who need to be addressed.
Yes, we know who they are, indeed. Your proposal is sensible.
How will the City monitor compliance? Otherwise we may have a “Do not command what you cannot enforce” situation here.
On the other hand, if all those advocating for storing their property on public ways overnight during winter are right, we will not have to worry about shoveling anything.