At its September 11 meeting, the Town Council unanimously approved returning the town to a pre-2015 snow emergency plan, prohibiting cars on town streets during a Frederick County declared snow emergency.
Pre-2015, the town had no parking allowed on any town streets to ensure snow plows could adequately clear the roads, according to Town Manager Cathy Willets.
The ordinance was changed in 2015 to benefit residents and allow for certain streets to remain available for off-street parking in the event of a snow emergency. At the same time, the plan restricted parking on all the cul-de-sacs of Southgate, Northgate, Emmett Gardens, Silo Hill, Brookfield, Worthens Way, Waycross Court, and Creamery Way, she said.
However, Public Works Department staff has said it is challenging and hazardous to plow in those areas where cars are allowed to park, Willets said.
As always, residents will be given adequate time to move their cars off the streets once Frederick County announces a snow emergency. "It’s not the minute that it goes into effect. We’re not expecting people to get out of bed in the middle of the night if the County declares an emergency when everyone is asleep," she clarified.
From an emergency services standpoint, Commissioner Frank Davis agreed with the ordinance wholeheartedly. "The less obstacles the crew has to work around, the quicker we can get streets open," he said.
Davis agreed to facilitate conversation with private businesses for parking alternatives for citizens in the newly allocated snow emergency restricted areas. "There’s places out there, we just have to try to work with those people," he said.
Information regarding the snow emergency plan is expected to be presented on the town website, email, and water bill newsletters.
"The last thing we want to do is ticket anybody, we just want to keep the roads safe," Willets said.
