With more snow forecast Friday night and Saturday, Marblehead Department of Public Works crews are preparing to clear the town’s roughly 70 miles of roads. The town has declared a snow emergency parking ban starting Friday at 11:45 p.m.
“First, you clear the streets to make sure that emergency vehicles can get through,” DPW Supervisor Amy McHugh told the Current Friday afternoon. “Then we do the crossing stations, bus stops. The schools do their own property, and they do have sidewalk equipment.”
After last month’s storm dropped more than 20 inches of snow, some residents complained about towering snowbanks blocking sidewalks and making it difficult to walk around town.
The Current reached out to McHugh to clarify who is responsible for snow removal in different areas.
Schools are tasked with clearing sidewalks on their own property, she said. “But where the schools’ sidewalks end can be gray and ambiguous.”
Unlike many neighboring communities, Marblehead does not require residents or businesses to shovel sidewalks. McHugh said Town Meeting has repeatedly rejected proposed bylaws that would shift that responsibility to property and business owners.
Local snow crews look for more space
The town maintains about 70 pieces of snow-removal equipment and does not contract out any of the work.
McHugh said she would like to clear more snow from sidewalks, but there is often nowhere to put it. Priority must go to ensuring emergency vehicle access on busy roads.
State regulations allow communities to dump snow in designated snow fields, but Marblehead’s potential sites are near freshwater wetlands and cannot be used, McHugh said.
This weekend’s challenges
“They’re predicting six inches of snow tonight, so we’ll do the whole clearing of the streets… making sure it’s safe. We’ll push some of the stuff back onto the sidewalks, which does create the sidewalk issue.”
McHugh said she expects to return to the Select Board next week to request another snow emergency declaration so crews can dump snow in the harbor.
She also urged residents to be patient as crews work.
“Especially since the temperature is going to drop, my real concern is that people don’t put snow back out on the street (by shoveling or snow blowing). It’s better to wait until we’re pretty much done (clearing the roads).”
