Breckenridge seeks safer sidewalks this winter with business owners help

Winter is coming.

And so are snow, ice and slippery sidewalks.

Breckenridge town staffers were ready to implement a new ordinance fining businesses and property owners in the downtown Main Street district for not clearing snow buildup during peak business hours. However, the majority of the town council is not ready to take such punitive measures.

Were developing a plan where we dont take heavy equipment through the center of town at certain times, said Tom Daugherty, public works director. And at certain times it will require the business and property owners to take care of their area.

In order to encourage property owners to take care of their area we need to change the ordinance.

He argued that plowing sidewalks is very difficult between the times of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. due to heavy pedestrian traffic.

Town employees now plan to plow the sidewalks on Main Street, the 100 and 200 south blocks of Ridge Street and the connections between these areas on Lincoln, Washington and Adams prior to 8 a.m.

In the proposed ordinance, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., property owners and occupants of properties adjacent to public sidewalks in these areas would be responsible for removing the snow. This would need to be done by noon every day if snowfall had accumulated on the walkways. The property owners would be able to pile the snow in the street or the area between the street and sidewalk.

Meanwhile, the town will continue plowing the sidewalks after 8 p.m. Staffing dedicated to snow plowing will remain the same as in years past, but shift times will change to support the new plan. Also, for properties it owns, the town will send out small fleets of municipal employees to shovel those areas that are in the new downtown sidewalk snow district.

Before 8 a.m. we will go out, and after 8 p.m. we will go out again, Daugherty said. Were asking that they help us out when we cant get down there. Its just like you shoveling your driveway so it doesnt build up and get packed down. These business owners need to do the same thing on their sidewalks We need a new ordinance to make this work.

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Breckenridge seeks safer sidewalks this winter with business owners help