Snow-shoveling law finally gets Hopewell Township approval

Law adopted to improve safety conditons for Brandon Farms school children during winter weather.

By John Tredrea
   A Hopewell Township ordinance that requires snow to be removed from sidewalks within 24 hours of the time it has stopped falling was unanimously adopted by a vote of the full Hopewell Township Committee May 15.
   The ordinance comes at the recommendation of township engineer Paul Pogorzelski, who says failure to clear sidewalks of snow in the Brandon Farms development created a safety hazard this winter for children walking to and from Stony Brook Elementary School.
   The Hopewell Valley Regional School District’s fourth elementary school, Stony Brook opened in September. It is on Stephenson Road in Brandon Farms.
   During the March 20 Township Committee meeting, when the snow shoveling ordinance officially was introduced, Mr. Pogorzelski said that, on a regular basis, "over a dozen" Brandon Farms sidewalks used by school children, including kindergartners, had not been cleared after snowstorms. "It’s become a safety issue," he said.
   Mr. Pogorzelski said he’d always gotten quick action on clearing the sidewalks after contacting the homeowners association that runs Brandon Farms. However, he felt it would be best if the township had an ordinance requiring snow removal from sidewalks.
   Both Pennington and Hopewell boroughs have had snow shoveling ordinances for years. The Hopewell Borough ordinance is enforced by the township police, which cover that borough. Pennington has its own police department.
   The ordinance passed by the township requires the owner or tenant of any property with frontage on any public street to remove snow from the sidewalk along that frontage within 24 hours of the time snow has stopped falling. The ordinance also applies to the owners of private streets and to property owners associations in charge of such streets. Under the ordinance, the township could remove snow from the sidewalks of those who have failed to comply with the ordinance, then bill the property owner for the work. There is no schedule of fines in the proposed ordinance.