NORTH BRUNSWICK – North Brunswick officials are considering amending the town’s snow removal ordinance to require vehicles to be parked in a municipal lot rather than on the street during snowstorms.
The ordinance would apply if the weather forecast calls for three or more inches of snow, which is when township plows are deployed, according to Eric Chaszar, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW). The specific locations have not been determined, though Chaszar said the lot across from the municipal building on Hermann Road and public parks are in discussion. Cars would need to be relocated within the first hour of the commencement of snow and be kept in the alternate location for at least 12 hours after the snow stops accumulating, he said.
There will be no fee for this program.
“This is not a money-making endeavor for us. It is an endeavor to get everyone off the street so that in all neighborhoods, the streets can be opened up as much as they can,” Councilman Carlo Socio said during the Nov. 27 council workshop meeting. “Especially in Berdine’s Corner, I’ve been there after a couple of events and it’s almost impassable, even after you guys [members of the DPW] are passing those cars on the street.”
Councilman Ralph Andrews said that the lots would have to be a close distance from a home. Though a specific distance was not quoted, Chaszar said that a possibility would be dropping one car off at a township location so that the driver could return home via another vehicle, which would then be kept in the driveway.
The DPW would keep all paths leading to and inside the lots clear, but residents would be responsible for clearing their cars off, Chaszar said.
Or, for those residents wishing to keep their cars nearby, Mark Cafferty, the director of the Office of Emergency Management, said that his neighbors let him use their driveway, which other residents could contemplate as well. Or, Chaszar said in the past that some residents have parked on their lawns, as another suggestion.
Council members agreed that the public would be made aware via township alerts, the Facebook page, Nixle and other means should the ordinance go into effect by the end of the year.
“We don’t want to wait for the first storm and there are a slew of tickets and no one knows why,” Socio said.
Chaszar clarified that the process will be “educational” during the first few storms.
Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack also noted that attention must be paid to seniors and those with special needs.
Contact Jennifer Amato at [email protected].