For the time being you might want to avoid the intersection of Donovan and Route 47, by the Donovan Food Mart.
When a driver pulls up to the stop sign on Donovan, he cannot see southbound vehicles on Route 47 at a safe distance until he pulls out into the intersection. This is due to the high pile of snow pushed near the street by the private snowplow clearing the Food Mart's parking lot.
This snow is not the first time this has happened. Click on the photo to enlarge it and imagine the danger if you had pulled out in front of a car or truck traveling 35MPH south on Seminary! (Click the Back button on your browser to return to this article.)
I emailed various departments of the City to contact the Food Mart owner or manager to ask him to direct the snowplow operator not to push snow in such a way that it obstructs the sight-line of drivers on Donovan. Over the past few days the streets have been slick at intersections, reducing traction of vehicles turning out from side streets. You can imagine the problem if a driver starts to pull out, can't get good traction and finds him right in front of a southbound car or truck.
Jeff Van Landuyt of the Streets Department replied promptly (in spite of busy and long days (and nights)) that he'd try to check it out today. Thanks, Jeff!
14 comments:
Many thanks to Jeff VanLanduyt for making time today to inspect the snowpile hazard and for taking action today. The pile should be lowered or moved quite soon. Thanks, Jeff!!!
Don't play favorites. The City created a number of similar conditions around town as well.
Please feel free to provide the locations of places, if any, where the City plowed snow and created conditions that obstruct a driver's view of the roadway.
Tappan and Ash (actual streets in Woodstock) is one example.
Another question you may want to ask Mr.Van Landuyt is why do the snow plows bury fire hydrants under snow ? Particularly on our cul-de-sacs (Farm Trail and Quail Ct.) There are no markers to show the fire department where to dig to find a hydrant if there were a fire. Also, I am required to clear the snow on the sidewalks in front of my house. Seeing as I live on a corner, that leaves me with alot of sidewalk, including a crosswalk. So far this year the snow plow operators have found the crosswalk a nice place to push and pile snow. I am not digging a 4' pile of snow left by a City plow.
My point is, maybe Mr.Van Landuyt needs to get his ass out in the field and look at what his drivers are/are not doing. He should not be sitting in his office waiting for Gus to complaint. His own people are making just as many hazards.
Kyle, you raise a good point about plows' burying fire hydrants. And most residents would like their streets plowed, but not to find huge mounds of snow blocking their driveways, sidewalks, corners and mailboxes. Not sure what the answer is to that one.
I suspect the Streets Dept. and the Fire/Rescue District could work out a solution to fireplug locations.
Let me stick up for Jeff a little here, but I hear your frustration about your own snow problems. I'm pretty sure that Jeff is not sitting in his office waiting for me to complain. I don't know him, but I suspect he is working long hours, just like other Streets Department employees.
Thanks for writing, Kyle, and I mean that! Things only get fixed when we speak out.
I'll see if I can learn whether snowplow operators are instructed about any special plowing near hydrants and how firefighters located hydrants buried under snow and de-ice them, if necessary, so they can attach hoses.
If you dont notice this ever with all of your driving around, the fire department goes out and digs the hydrants out. They dont wait for a fire and then decide to dig when time is of the essence. Home owners could help out by digging the hydrants out on their easments instead of complaining that the plows are clearing off the streets. And if you cant shovel the snow, get a snow blower. They work really great for lazy people.
Who is requiring Kyle to clear his sidewalks?
There are so many sidewalks that stay snow packed throughout the winter. So who is requiring them to clear them off?
I addressed a previous City Council a while back and asked them for an ordinance that would require clearing of sidewalks. Ha! As I recall, no one even slightly nodded in agreement. They sat there stone-faced, kept their eyes open and not even a blink, until I finished speaking and stepped away from the microphone. Not even one word of discussion!
For the safety of all persons including, but not limited to the elderly, disabled and children, the city should require that sidewalks be cleared of snow and ice. Best efforts would be good enough; no effort would not be good enough.
When pedestrians are forced to walk in a busy street because of deep snow blocking long stretches of sidewalk, the City should become liable.
You're right Owner, there is nothing that "requires" me to clear the snow from the public sidewalk. But since I have a 7-year old that has friends up and down our street, I feel obligated to do my part as a good father, property owner, and resident of Woodstock. I only ask that the City help out by not making the situation worse by piling snow at the crosswalks.
And I guess, based on the attache web page, I /We do not have to mow the grass in the ROW either. Lets all boycott mowing the grass this next Spring.
http://www.woodstock-il.com/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={18DA3DD8-45C0-46FF-9EAD-EB78B5015222}&DE={2F6A06BE-70E5-4D4E-A582-43131181F74E}
Make sure the police start writing tickets for EVERYONE walking in the street when you enact the ordinance requiring sidewalk shoveling. Thats spring, summer, fall and winter. Then we'll see who squawks the loudest, Gus or the rest of the City!
It'll be Gus.
He'll be the only one at the City Council meeting.
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