Walking in a winter danger-land

For schoolchildren, seniors and other pedestrians, it's a walk with danger - a game of chicken played with oncoming traffic on Arctic footing. And it's all because some residents refuse to shovel the snow off their sidewalk.

Nobody bothered to shovel the walk along South Roop Street near the U.S. Post Office. What accumulated during last week's snowfall has been piled-over with boulders of ice and snow from the sheer of passing plows. Without the benefit of sled dogs or snowshoes, there's little choice but to walk on the road itself. But it's hardly the area exception.

Due to callousness or carelessness, some residents have ignored their civic duty, and section 11.12.070 of the Carson City Municipal Code, to remove the snow from their sidewalks within 72 hours after the last flake has fallen (48 hours for sidewalks in business districts), and it's got some in the community grumbling.

"It's not a very friendly welcome to tourists," says Sue Newberry. "Those of us on my street with ordinary cars bottomed-out on high snow for the first four days after the storm," she says, "virtually stranding those unable to walk."

"I just saw two senior citizens walking in the street on Fifth Street near Roop. They couldn't use the unplowed sidewalks.

"If we want to be a community, we have to serve everybody," she adds. "If they need to assess the downtown businesses then they should. But I don't think it should have to be a punitive thing," she says, instead hoping that people would come to their senses and do the right thing without the threat of fines.

Stuck in her wheelchair in her apartment building on College Parkway, multiple sclerosis sufferer Paula Reid "can't even get to the 7-Eleven to buy a paper because of the sidewalks.

"I don't understand," she says, feeling hurt and confused. "I thought people are supposed to clear off their sidewalks. Thank God at least my pharmacy delivers."

"It's just frustrating," Reid said. "I could understand that there are elderly people who can't clean their sidewalks but these big businesses, you know - that's sad.

"Why are they not citing businesses?"

Kevin McCoy, code enforcement officer with Carson City, is one of those charged with making sure snow laws are followed. "We're getting inundated with phone calls about parking lots and private roads," he said.

"The only code we're working off is Carson City Municipal Code 11.12.130, which applies to businesses only," he said.

McCoy, reading from a 1985 copy of local laws, said he had never heard of Code 11.12.070, which applies to residential properties, but he promised to look into it.

The Carson City "Snow and Ice Control Policy" containing the residential code was listed in a November 1997 update faxed to the Nevada Appeal Wednesday morning from city offices.

"A lot of the snow removal in the past was enforced by the public works director," says McCoy. "Now Carson City has a code enforcement unit, but it's not fully together yet."

Under existing codes, a non-shoveled sidewalk could be declared a public nuisance and the owner charged for its removal.

"The charges would be substantial," he warns.

According to the National Weather Service's Scott McGuire in Reno, a winter storm watch was in effect for the area from Friday to Sunday. While it's still an early forecast, he said the system was similar to the New Year's storm.

"I'd get out and shovel," he advised.

Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.