Princeton Borough aiming to crack down on tardy sidewalk snow shovelers.
By: Jennifer Potash
After the last snowflake wafts down from above, Princeton Borough property owners will have 24 hours to clear the snow and ice from their sidewalks, according to a proposal before the Borough Council.
The governing body on Tuesday discussed scrapping the existing and somewhat obtuse snow-removal ordinance in favor of a clear and more specific local law.
Key changes involve the time frame for clearing snow and requiring sidewalks along residential properties to be cleared to a width of 3 feet.
Presently, violators find themselves facing liens on their property for the cost of snow removal, but under the new measure violators would face a day in court and a fine of up to $500.
In the downtown area, including the central business district and most of Nassau and Witherspoon streets, property owners must clear the entire width of the sidewalk from the building to the street, except where snow banks occur as the result of street plowing.
Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi said a proposed ordinance could come before the council in February.
Mr. Bruschi pushed for the changes after residents who walk as the primary means of getting around town complained of impassable sidewalks following snowstorms.
Most residents do comply and clear their sidewalks but in the case of a snowstorm that leaves a foot or more of snow behind, a single property owner who leaves the sidewalks snow-covered presents a major hazard to pedestrians, Mr. Bruschi said.
"It forces people into a dangerous situation" where pedestrians walk in the plowed streets with traffic, Mr. Bruschi said.
The borough’s current ordinance follows language in a 1917 state law governing snow removal that states property owners have 12 hours of daylight after the end of the snowfall to shovel it off the sidewalks. Because of the short days, however, 12 hours of daylight can consume a lot of time. In addition, the present ordinance does not address the width of the shoveled path.
Borough Attorney Michael J. Herbert said the state law was recently upheld by a state appellate court, and municipalities cannot require a shorter time period for clearing sidewalks of snow and ice.
"It’s crazy," he said.
Mayor Joseph O’Neill said he worried that an overly harsh policy might harm elderly or disabled borough residents who cannot physically remove the snow.
"We need to think about how we deal with this in a humane way," Mayor O’Neill said.
The borough and the Princeton Senior Resource Center tried to find teenagers willing to shovel snow for elderly residents but found no takers, the mayor said.
Councilman David Goldfarb said all property owners must take responsibility for maintenance, including snow removal.
"It may not be easy," he said. "But there are a lot of things about owning property that are not easy."
Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz suggested the 24-hour requirement as a "simple and easy" way for residents to be responsible for removing the snow and for the borough to enforce it when property owners do not comply.
Judith Budwig, a Jefferson Road resident, suggested the borough reach out to church youth groups and community service organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, to find volunteers to shovel for elderly or disabled borough residents.
Sue Bishop, a Sergeant Street resident who walks but doesn’t drive, urged the council to make the changes.
"We really need clear sidewalks," Ms. Bishop said, adding that she had to walk in Harrison Street on a trip from the Princeton Shopping Center because a section of the sidewalk was not cleared of snow.
Mr. Goldfarb once more called for the downtown merchants to adopt a special improvement district, which levies a special assessment on properties within set geographic boundaries. Income from the assessment can be spent on improvements such as beatification projects, snow removal or advertising for the included businesses.
"It would benefit every single merchant in the downtown," he said.
In other action Tuesday, the council held a closed-session interview with police Capt. Anthony Federico, who has applied for the chief of police position. The council is expected to approve a resolution on Tuesday appointing Capt. Federico as chief. The current chief, Charles Davall, retires from the department on Monday. He will join the Princeton University Department of Public Safety as assistant director on Feb. 7.
The council is also expected to approve a resolution appointing Kim A. Otis as the municipal prosecutor on Tuesday. Mr. Bruschi said Mr. Otis, who started Monday, will work on a per diem basis until the council acts on the resolution.

