Here’s what
Chesterton Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg wants you to do: park off
the street.
Here’s what he
wants you to know: when the plowing’s all done, there will be a mound
of wet, heavy snow at the foot of your driveway.
On the subject of
off-street parking: Schnadenberg told the Chesterton Tribune this
morning that it’s vital for residents to get their vehicles off the roadway,
not only because it makes the plow driver’s job easier and the quality of
the plow better but because in blizzard conditions--which the National
Weather Service is now forecasting--it’s hard for the plow drivers to see.
“Visibility in a
blizzard is terrible,” Schnadenberg said. “We have to go really slow and be
careful of people and road hazards.”
On the subject of
driveways: between seven and 12 inches of snow roughly the consistency and
mass of wet concrete are expected to fall into Thursday morning, and there’s
just no way for a plow driver to clear a street and not leave driveways
blocked.
“There will be snow
at the end of your driveway,” Schnadenberg said. “If you aren’t able to
clear it yourself, you need to make arrangements with a neighbor or relative
to do it.”
Schnadenberg did
want to remind residents that Town Code prohibits them from shoveling or
blowing snow into the roadway. Doing so is punishable by a $100 fine.
The Chesterton
Street Department has six plows which will be manned in 12-hour shifts
around the clock. Schnadenberg’s strategy, as always, is to open the main
roads first, then make a pass through the subdivisions, then alternate
between main roads and subdivisions for the duration.
It takes at least
eight hours after the last flake falls to fully clear all public
rights-of-way, including cul-de-sacs, in Chesterton, Schnadenberg noted. It
may take longer, given the horrendous conditions expected.
Town of Porter
Porter Public Works
Director Brenda Brueckheimer, for her part, told the Tribune today
that her preparations are in place. “Three trucks are out salting now ahead
of the snow,” she said at 8 a.m. “We have 300 tons of salt. And we are ready
for the event.”
Brueckheimer did
make a special plea, however. “Be kind to plow drivers,” she said. “Be
patient. Just be kind.”
And she had an
announcement: the Porter Town Council enacted at its meeting Tuesday night
an ordinance requiring the residents of subdivisions to park their vehicles
off the street, in their driveways or garages, when there are more than
three inches of snow.
“So plow drivers
can do their job,” Brueckheimer said.
In an emergency,
she added, call the Public Works Department at 926-4212. “If we can help, we
will.”
Unincorporated
County
Residents of
unincorporated Porter County are also required, under ordinance, to park
their vehicles off the street in the event of two or more inches of snow,
Highway Supervisor David James told the Tribune.
“We’ve been
enforcing that now for the last couple of years,” he said.
James made a
particular point of urging folks to stay put and off the roads, if possible.
“And if you need to go out, be careful. I mean, it’s a snowstorm for Pete’s
sake. I’m just glad the area schools”--with the exception, that is, of
Valparaiso Community Schools--“called off.”