Businesses that ignore request to shovel sidewalk & more

[Zack van Brakle]

So, this morning I woke up and stepped outside. As I enjoyed my morning coffee, I watched the snow plow drivers contracted by USPS clear the lot.

After clearing some of the lot, one person began the process of clearing the sidewalk. Generally, I'd use a shovel, or a snow blower. Unfortunately, no such luck with these guys. They instead drove their snow plow down the side walk. Truth be told, the part of the sidewalk they cleared looks great. It looks to be well salted and passable. The problem is: they didn't clear the entire length of the sidewalk. They only cleared the portion in front of the post office, leaving a large pile of snow in front of the Howard Hanna building. The walk in front of the Howard Hanna building is NEVER cleared. The walk in front of the post office is utilized by many children walking to school. Additionally, directly across from the post office is Kirtland House where a number of elderly and differently abled people live. The fact that the drivers wouldn't use what I consider normal means to clean the sidewalk seems absurd to me, and the fact they wouldn't clean the whole sidewalk makes it seem more so.

How/who do I report this to? And will it even do any good?

[Ryan Salo]

Zach,

I am glad you are keeping an eye out, that is the key to getting things fixed. You can call 216-529-7697 or go to http://www.onelakewood.com/ReportProblem/ to report the problem. I also follow up after a day to see what the city is doing. They are very busy now and the squeaky wheel gets the oil...

[Valerie Molinski]

I completely agree about Howard Hanna as well. I was going to check it this am, but I didnt get over there. It is never, ever cleared. I looked up the manager of the office online and was going to call there today. The other area that is never cleared is the sidewalk that is east of the Speedway drive off of Franklin. They seem to clear only the two front corner and leave this area a mess. Every time.

[Corey Rossen]

JOB to the sidewalk(s) rescue.

[Ryan Salo]

RTA cleared a small path from the shelter to the street! Now on to the other side. RTA claims it is the city's responsibility to clear the "sidewalk" stops where there isn't a shelter. Are they going to? Should we clear them and fine the city $200?

non shelter stop.jpg (343.29 KiB) Viewed 3632 times

[Ryan Salo]

According to Joe Beno the city has never been obligated nor have they ever cleared all the bus stops. He said they do not have the workers waiting around looking for things to do so it would take time to even get a program like that going.

IMHO If RTA really wants to increase ridership they should commit to keeping these clean and safe.

[Sandy Twardesky]

In the last few weeks I've seen RTA out cleaning by bus stops. Businesses still stink. Half don't do them. I did see your article on channel 5. In the last 2 days i've seen at least 50 people walk down clifton because no one bother's to shovel their sidewalks or steps. My husband is a mailman and it drives him nuts trying to walk in this ice to begin with then try to get up people's steps. And business's are just as bad.

[Lori Allen _]

Since the Deck is trying to somewhat "consolidate" threads, I thought I would add this here.

If memory serves me, the snow from earlier in the week stopped early Monday morning. The pictures attached below were taken at dusk Monday evening. City ordinance requires that sidewalks in business districts are to be cleared by 9:00 A.M. each day.

Virtually zero businesses on W. 117th between Detroit & Madison and hardly any on Madison cleared their sidewalks by dusk Monday evening. People walking on it all day long caused the freezing rain/snow to become an icy, slippery, hardened mess. Now, it will be twice as hard to remove (if it ever is removed).

Now, I am not expecting a utopia here. Not every single business on every single street can always be cleared. However, most of these businesses are repeat offenders from years past, especially McDonald's, Walgreen's, and Aldi.

Yes, this topic comes up every year and it seems repetitive. Nevertheless, it is very important that we pay attention in our neighborhoods about this issue this winter. There is always room for improvement. It is also important that we look out for our neighbors and maybe even shovel theirs if they cannot.

Ryan, are you going to be out on patrol this winter?

[Alex Belisle]

Ryan - wow! -I'm very impressed. And you're not on the City Council because? LOL Great job. I can see you clearly have a vested interest in your community. As I looked out my window this morning, I am one of the "few" sidewalks that have been cleared. May I assume that Lakewood homeowners ignore this law with impunity? Since I'm going to my 2nd class at the Citizens Police Academy this evening, I think I'll ask them about this.

[Lori Allen _]

Although the weather has been changing quite a bit this week, it appears that there are businesses that have not cleared their sidewalk even once since the weekend.

Below are the businesses I noticed that were especially bad:

Bruce's Automotive (the entire sidewalk on the Detroit side is packed down ice)
Educator's Music
The medical building at Elbur & Detroit.
Katie's Laundry
Crestmont North
East end Drug mart
GetGo
Pilgrim St. Paul Lutheran Church (sidewalk on Manor Park not touched)
Giant Eagle (both Bunts & Detroit sides)
Georgio's Pizza Plaza
Brinkman Funeral Home
Dr. O'Leary the Dentist
Lakewood Convenient (across from Garfield)
Bloom at Lakewood
Elbur Manor
Key Bank (St. Charles side)


The majority of these businesses are repeat offenders from last year.

Now that I have complained, I will compliment these businesses, that are always great with their sidewalks:

O'Neil Healthcare
CVS (both east and west end)
Winton Place, Carslyle, & Meridian Condominiums
Ennis Court
Parkway Arms Apts.

Speedway, Detroit Family Dollar, and UDF also appear to have improved their sidewalks this winter.

Below are pictures of the worst offenders I encountered today, imagine trying to get through these if you are using a cane, wheelchair, or are blind. Where is the enforcement?

[Lori Allen _]

A tip of the hat to these businesses, that have really stepped up their game recently with their sidewalks:

Katie's Laundry
Crestmont North
Drug Mart (East)
GetGo
Georgio's Pizza plaza

Brinkman-Dress Funeral Home is still a mess.

I was disappointed to see that these school routes are quite bad:

Bunts (south of Franklin and north of Merl)
Robinwood
Merl (near Emerson)
Nicholson
Lake Ave (west of Cove)
Blossom Park

All of Clifton, but especially between Belle & Nicholson). These are routes to Lincoln, Emerson, and Lakewood City Academy. This has been a problem for at least five years and nothing has been done about it.

[Lori Allen _]

Please see the below video for only a small amount of photographic evidence that laws are still not being enforced. It appears that almost everyone, from city officials, city employees, common pleas court judges, and even the Lakewood City Schools is refusing to do their part to keep Lakewood safe.



My son called the operations office at the schools when he noticed the sidewalk in front of the Lincoln School construction site. He was assured that someone would be out to clear the sidewalk by the end of the day. As of 8:00 P.M., nothing appeared to have been even touched. Kids have to use this sidewalk to get to Lakewood Catholic Academy, City Academy, and St. Luke's, along with those that take the bus. If you're going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.

[jackie f taylor]

Well, I have something to say about that. Lakewood City Hall will be hearing from me. I do my best to keep my sidewalks clean of ice & snow, hours after it falls. I was out this morning, 8:00 am, on Madison Ave. clearing the sidewalks and spreading salt. I went out for a couple hours to run errands, came back, and my sidewalks were all covered with ice & snow again. The city snow plows run by so fast, they throw all that slush all over the sidewalks, and after it re-freezes, it is impossible to clear without an ice pick and a bull dozer. I am an old man, I am not going to clean up after city crews anymore, take me to court.

I understand it is against the law to shovel snow into city streets or onto my neighbors property, well then, is the city that makes that law, exempt from following it? Mother nature didn't put that slush there, the city snow plows did. I protest...

[jackie f taylor]

Many property owners are older, many don't have kids or neighborly teens to help with shoveling, many don't have snow blowers, much less, plows.
Business people have to work at their professions, they have to prepare to open the doors for the customers, they don't want to exhaust themselves,
first thing , gotta shovel the snow. I'm too tired to work. I better go home before I have a heart attack.

SOLUTION; The city of Lakewood purchases 100 golf cart like snow plows,
just suited for side walks,
and charge each property owner, $5.00, a plow, up & down the commercial streets,
all along Detroit, or Clifton, Madison, Lake,
you name it,
all the same width, all nice & clean,
I would pay $5.00 to have help shoveling the darn snow.
The city would put teens to work,
help the business & property owners,
keep everything nice & clean,
" the walkable city "
and the city would make millions,
and Lakewood would become known
as the first city to implement this great idea.

[jackie f taylor]

The city has a maintenance department, yes? They do the leaves, the trash, the plowing of the streets, municipal parking lots, schools, city hall? Have one department handle the commericial district and another to do the residential streets. Lakewood residents, throw your shovels away.