Snow Time Again! Have The Rules Changed?

updated - Feb. 1 at 8:20 am.

(click on photos to enlarge)

Get ready snow is coming.  Less than one week after the first snow storm of 2015 the National Weather Service is predicting another storm for our area. The forecast calls for possible snow accumulations of 4-6 inches beginning Sunday evening and ending sometime early Monday.  

Are we ready?

Highway Dept. Plows a road in Nesconset. Photo Dawn Gary“The Smithtown Highway Department is ready” according to Glenn Jorgensen, superintendent of highways. Jorgensen said last week’s storm clean-up was accomplished with 100 town plows, 70 contracted plows and ten plows from the NYS Parks Department. Jorgensen said it was a tremendous effort by everyone and praised the workers from NYS Parks Department saying “I didn’t know what to expect when I heard we were getting help from the State but let me tell you those guys worked, really hard. They made a difference.”

Last year’s snow removal efforts were hampered by equipment breakdowns. No such problem this year. According to Jorgensen there was one transmission break-down and some minor issues. Everything seemed to fall into place. The efficient snow-removal did not go unnoticed by Supervisor Vecchio who used the word “superb” to describe the work the Highway Department did clearing the roads.

Another difference from last year was Governor Cuomo’s travel ban. Governor Cuomo closed down the train and subway system and banned motor vehicles fromLanding Ave during 2014 storm. The road remained open during the entire storm the roads.   Local officials offered praise to the Governor for his decision to ban travel during the storm. “The Governor’s decision to close the roads made it easier for plow drivers. There were no cars to drive around, no cars stuck on the road and no accidents. This allowed my drivers to do their job.” said Glenn Jorgensen.

County Executive Bellone and Supervisor Vecchio concurred with Jorgensen.

Bellone called the response to the storm “historic”. Bellone praised the Governor’s quick response to the storm, ordering a travel ban and supplying aid in the form of snow plows and salt. He agreed with the travel ban emphasizing the reduction in snow related accidents and the ease and speed with which workers were able to clear roads.  Both men complimented residents for staying out of their cars, staying off the roads and for parking their cars off street.

But will these behaviors continue?

County Executive after Jan. 2015 snow stormThere are questions as to how we will move forward. Have the rules of behavior for snow storms changed? Were precedents established during the storm? Will roads be closed when forecasters predict storms? If the answers to the questions  are yes, will the public continue to comply?

None of our officials seem to be ready to commit themselves to road closure as policy. Governor Cuomo was criticised by some people for shutting down mass transit systems and forcing people off the roads. In some areas of Nassau and in NYC  the storm was not as significant as it was in Suffolk County and some people felt the the Governor over reacted. Supervisor Vecchio defended the Governor saying, “If the Governor erred it was on the side of caution. He should not be faulted for that.” 

Comments

[Concetta Schiano]

Mr Jorgensen's snow removal cleanup of the Smithtown roadways may have been called " Superb" but his consideration to some of the residents of Smithtown fall very short of superb. Mr. Jorgensen has decided that the best place to place all this snow is at the North side of the Smithtown Railroad Station parking lot on Atterbury Drive and Fairview Ave. This is a residential area. Tons and I mean tons of snow has been dropped in the parking lot during the middle of the night. This started for the first time last winter. As of this past storm the snow drop has resumed. I did mention this is a residential area and I did mention this is being done through the night and into the early hours of the morning. Mr Jorgensen has the Highway Dept. running every one of their huge dump trucks down the streets of Landing Ave, Atterbury Drive and Prospect Dr from 11:00 PM to 5/6 AM in the morning all night non stop. In the parking lot there is a tractor constantly moving the dumped snow into huge mountains in the lot. When the trucks come in and dump the snow this is no quiet task. The constant convoy of these loud trucks coming down the small narrow blocks and dumping the snow is literally robbing the residence of these streets of all sleep. The tractor that is in continuous motion is loud and the beeping sound each time it backs up which is constant along with its bucket scraping the ground doesn't cease until it's time to go back to the highway department. The dump trucks as they come down the blocks and into the parking lot are not one at a time but like I said its a convoy of trucks, LOUD trucks ( with no daytime noise to drown out some of the noise ) they enter the parking lot lift the backs of their trucks and the heavy metal "flap " that opens and bangs against the truck several times sounds like huge garbage dumpsters are being dropped to the ground from high heights. When these trucks back up the truck has a loud beeping sound like the tractor. Once the backs of the trucks are emptied it is lowered with a huge bang. All this is in the quiet of the night. The noise is unbearable and sleeping is non existent. How do I know this? I live on Atterbury Drive for the last 34+ years and better yet I am the house right next door to the parking lot. All the bedrooms in my house are next to the parking lot. Not only am I not able to escape the unbearable racket going on through the night I get to watch the convoy coming in, the dumping of the snow and the tractor creating these mounds all freaking night long. Really?? Is this really where the snow needs to be dumped ? Are the residence that insignificant to this town that there isn't an ounce of consideration to us. Out of my 34+ years in my home 32 of those years this parking lot was not the highway departments dumping grounds. Why start now. There is absolutely no excuse for this absolute case of abuse to the residence of my block and the other blocks leading to the RR parking lot. There needs to be an investigation to what is happening here and the traffic and noise going on during these dumps. I didn't even mention the men yelling to each other over the noise of the vehicles. Again all during the quiet of the night. Let me also mention the mountains of snow become black and filthy and look like mountains of dirt. Last year as of May 3 there was still small amounts of snow left on the ground. And the filth and dirt from the snow which was an eyesore until it was finally cleaned and removed sometime in late June/ early July. I have been a Smithtown resident for 55 of my 57 years and what is taking place on my block, next to my home is abuse. By the way I bought the house just prior to the building of this parking lot. A new dumping ground needs to be found !!! Will anybody pay attention to this post? Will any Smithtown official investigate the noise and dumping on our street and in the parking lot? Will this be ignored? Will the residents continued to be dumped on? Will anyone step up to the plate here and do the right thing?