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Mostly Cloudy Villages prepare for that expected snowstorm
Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Atlantic Beach have equipment and manpower ready
Although the winter weather so far has been manageable, a trio of Five Towns villages provided the Herald with a rundown of its manpower, supplies and costs for the usual snowstorms that are expected until spring’s arrival later in March.
“Snow removal for a village like ours is one of the most important things we do,” Mayor Benjamin Weinstock said. “When it snows we bring out a small army.”
Cedarhurst has a large fleet to clean up the snow, Weinstock said. It includes a variety of equipment and a crew of men to shovel the sidewalks at Village Hall, Cedarhurst Park, parking lots and around the meters.
Village employees work limited hours when it snows to ensure that overtired people are not operating the heavy machinery that is used. Frank Parise, the superintendent of public works, and Vincent Castagna, public works foreman and mechanic who maintains the village’s vehicles, oversee the work.
Preparation for winter weather begins in the fall when the Cedarhurst stocks about 200 tons of salt, Weinstock said, which is enough for roughly three full applications. He said that the village plows all 18 miles of its roads with the exception of Peninsula Boulevard, Broadway, West Broadway and Rockaway Turnpike, which fall under the jurisdiction of Nassau County.
It costs the village nearly $15,000 each time it snows, including about $4,500 to salt the roads. While other areas may mix sand with salt because it is more cost effective, Weinstock noted that Cedarhurst does not because the sand clogs the storm drains and makes the road slippery if it is not swept up. If freezing rain is predicted after a snowfall, the village will apply salt before precipitation begins to fall to make it easier to clean up. Salt is most effective during the day when the road absorbs heat from the sun.
Village officials encourage residents to keep their vehicles off the streets when it snows for more efficient plowing. If that is not possible, it is also recommended to park cars on the same side of the street. With regard to driveways, Weinstock advises residents to pile snow on the sides of driveways, particularly the right side, instead of throwing it back into the street.
“Our major concern is always to make sure emergency vehicles can pass, people can go to work, kids can go to school,” Mayor Alex Edelman, said. He also said that during his time as a village official so far, snow plowing has always been a priority to ensure the safety of those in the village.
Lawrence allocates $75,000 in their snow budget, according to village officials, for trucks, manpower and supplies such as salt. Winter storm preparations begin in September when vehicles are checked to ensure they are in proper working order.
Robert Daniels, superintendent of public works and highway department, monitors local weather and oversees roughly 12 trucks and a dozen men throughout the snow cleanup process. “I watch the weather and make a decision from there,” Daniels said. About 25 to 30 tons of salt are used during each snowstorm. The village keeps a stock of 200 to 300 tons of salt each year.
After about three inches of snow have accumulated, the village sends out the trucks. Each driver has a designated route to follow. “Whenever the snow comes, we go out,” Al Franzese, Highway Department employee for the last 20 years, said, regardless of the time of day.
“We’re always ready,” Atlantic Beach Mayor George Pappas, said, when it comes to snowplowing and cleanup, “it’s second nature.” He added that Steve Cherson, the superintendent of public works and building inspector, works with him to monitor the weather. Together they create a plan to plow the village, with the help of four to five men that drive the plows.
Snow predictions depend on the strength and path of winter storms, which usually can only be determined about a week before they are likely to hit, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov.
