By Pat Biancaniello
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Snow is everywhere! That is the phrase you hear most often when you visit the Branch Shopping Center on Main Street in Smithtown. The January 12th snowstorm dumped as much as 18 inches of snow in the area. While people expect to see snow piles, no one was prepared for what they saw at the Branch shopping center. “Mt. Waldbaums,” is the name given the huge pile of snow by Waldbaums’ employee Joe Furtunato and an unnamed customer.
What is most perplexing to anyone who visits the Waldbaums shopping center is the decision to pile snow directly in front of the windows at Waldbaums. The pile of snow which measures 18 feet high, according to Waldbaums employee Ronnie Buell a student at Kings Park High School, blocks the windows, takes up handicapped parking spaces, and blocks the visibility of the entrance.
The Manager of Waldbaums, Michael Fitzpatrick, was surprised but understanding. In a phone conversation with Mr. Fitzpatrick on Friday January 14th he said, “There was a lot of snow dumped on us and while I am not thrilled with the placement of the pile of snow, I have confidence that the landlord, Acadia Realty Trust, will be removing it shortly. Tonight if not tomorrow.”
Tim Harris, the front-end manager of Waldbaums was surprised to see the snow pile, but he said on Thursday the 13th, “While every customer has something to say… he has not received any complaints.” Did he think the contractor could have done a better job? “Yes, the snow piled in front of the store makes it difficult for people who may have special parking needs or difficulty walking and need to have easy access to the store.”
One customer, who only gave her name as Lynne, felt that people were making too much of a big deal over the pile of snow. “There are bigger problems in the world than Smithtown’s snow. Snow removal is difficult and they did a fine job.”
Kerri Mckeever, Kings Park resident and co-owner of 5th Street Paving in Bay Shore, knows quite a bit about snow removal. Her company has the contract to pave Islip Macarthur Airport. Her reaction to Mt. Walbaums, “with all of the challenges that this storm presented and there were many, it’s just not right to have the pile of snow placed in front of the store.” Ms. Mckeever acknowledged the difficulty many contractors are having with the removal of snow with limited places on site to put it. “However, there seemed to be room on the periphery of the property to place the snow rather than placing it directly in front of the store. In many instances, phase two of the snow removal process begins the day after with pay loaders and trucks taking the snow to different sites.” That is what Manager Mike Fitzpatrick is expecting. “I have a good relationship with the landlord and expect that they will begin removing the snow soon. If not, I will not be as understanding as I am now.”
Tenant Rosalie Mallozzi, co-owner of the Smithtown Branch Barbershop in the same shopping center was smiling when she said “I have never seen anything like it. Even when I lived in Brooklyn where they would pile the snow on street corners. It is amazing to see this.”