The county government has found a new, if temporary, location to store snow during the coming winter season.
County Manager Mark Schwartz on Tuesday (Oct. 20) told County Board members that the local government has reached an agreement with the owners of the former Key Bridge Marriott site to use it for depositing snow after storms.
The site will be able to handle 4,500 truckloads of snow, twice the amount of any other Arlington location used for that purpose, county staff said.
The Rosslyn location is not a permanent solution, as the site is planned for redevelopment, but “adds a significant amount of capacity” this winter season, Schwartz said.
“If we have an event like we had last year, I think we’ll be in better shape,” he said, referring to the “snowcrete” storm that paralyzed the region in late January.
Zak Bradley, a Department of Environmental Services staffer and key planner for snow efforts, said every major storm provides a learning opportunity.
“We are constantly adapting and adjusting,” he told County Board members.
At the Oct. 20 meeting, there was some discussion of purchasing specialized equipment to better handle major storms. But not everyone on the Board dais was convinced.
“I don’t know that — for me personally — that the cost of investing in Toronto-level equipment makes sense for Arlington, where we do get the snow events only once every five to 10 years,” Board member Maureen Coffey said.
For the coming winter season, county officials have started a “snow buddies” initiative in conjunction with Volunteer Arlington. The effort aims to pair those unable to remove snow from sidewalks with neighbors willing to volunteer their services.
“Behind the scenes, we’ve been working since February” to develop the program, said Jessica Baxter, a county official working to oversee the initiative.
To date, more than 100 volunteers have signed up to support the program. After online training later this month, they will be paired with residents in need.
“I think we’re in a good place,” Baxter told Board members. “There’s no shortage of Arlingtonians wanting to help their neighbors.”
For the 2026-27 winter season, requirements for removing snow from sidewalks remain the same. Property owners will have 24 hours from the end of a storm to clear passageways when less than 6 inches of snow falls, or 36 hours when snowfall is greater than 6 inches.
Those violating the rules will first receive warning notices, and if they don’t remove the snow, they will be subject to fines of $50 or $100, depending on the length of the sidewalk.
The county government has eight inspectors who will be following up on snow-clearing complaints, Bradley said.
