Falls Church leaders later this month will take a look at regulations related to clearing snow on sidewalks adjacent to commercial properties.
Like Arlington, Falls Church has ordinance requirements mandating that snow must be removed from sidewalks within a specified time after a winter event. Because of the intensity of a heavy snow and ice storm in January, which was followed by a deep freeze, adherence to the rules was even more spotty than usual this year.
In April, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members he wanted to have a discussion on the matter before the next winter arrives.
At a July 8 calendar-setting session, leaders decided to start that conversation at the July 20 Council work session.
“I think we’re well-prepared for a good discussion,” Shields said at the July 8 meeting.
While the January storm was “an outlier,” Council member Erin Flynn said “it would be helpful to know staff perspective” on how to improve.
The city’s existing snow policy related to commercial properties states:
“Commercial property owners must remove snow and ice from sidewalks surrounding the property six hours after the snow stops falling. If the snow falls at night, businesses have six hours after sunrise to remove it. Snow/ice must not be placed on city streets.”
One of the challenges of the late-January storm was that the sheer volume of snow and ice forced city crews clearing streets to sometimes push it onto sidewalks. The responsibility to address it then fell on property owners.
Because of the frigid temperatures that followed, the snow and ice mix compacted and froze into “snowcrete,” leaving some sidewalks impassable for weeks.
At the July 8 discussion, Council member Arthur Agin sought a discussion of efforts to clear the W&OD Regional Trail after storms, while Council member Laura Downs sought conversation about storms’ impacts on schools.
Shields said expanding the discussion was fine.
“All things snow can be on the table,” he said.
Shields is retiring in September and Council members are set to begin interviewing potential successors this week.
Shields has been city manager since 2007. He has led Falls Church through not just the January storm but also major winter events occurring in December 2009, February 2010 and January 2016, each of which brought well over a foot of snow to the local area.
