Monday, January 12, 2009

Free skating in Kensington! (on the sidewalks)

Our section of Brooklyn has been dealing with this problem since at least 1905, and there doesn't seem to have been much progress. At least half of the surfaces between my door and the F train are still dangerously slippery even though the last flake fell about 30 hours ago.
Administrative Code NYC.
§ 16–123 Removal of snow, ice and dirt from sidewalks; property owners' duties. a. Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant, or other person, having charge of any building or lot of ground in the city, abutting upon any street where the sidewalk is paved, shall, within four hours after the snow ceases to fall, or after the deposit of any dirt or other material upon such sidewalk, remove the snow or ice, dirt, or other material from the sidewalk and gutter, the time between nine post meridian and seven ante meridian not being included in the above period of four hours.
This may not be news to everyone. If you own a house, you are lawfully bound to remove the snow and ice from your sidewalk. If you rent, your landlord is lawfully bound to make sure it gets done. And if you're Foodtown, as reader LavenderPhoenix points out, you definitely have to make sure your customers and passers-by have safe foot paths. But what's to be done? I would imagine this is the sort of thing 311 was created for, but it might be easier to just call Foodtown at 718-871-6161 and politely state your concerns.

Does anyone else know of any businesses who haven't done adequate snow and ice removal? Also, does the entirety of E.3rd St. between Beverly and Ave C count as a business? If so, I have a phone call to make.