If Mayor deBlasio Can Shovel His Sidewalk, What’s Your Excuse, Brooklyn Heights?

By on January 4, 2014 5:19 pm in News

After a snowstorm in Brooklyn Heights, there always seems to be a disproportionate number of uncleared sidewalks. Sure, folks go out of town and may not have planned properly or the owner of a property may be elderly and have health or other reasons for not shoveling snow. However, Mayor deBlasio changed the game a little yesterday but shoveling the walk in front of his Park Slope home adding that despite his impending move to Gracie Mansion he will, throughout his term, be responsible for making sure his sidewalk would be cleared after a storm. Why? It’s the law. (But as a commenter mentions below sometimes doing nothing is doing something.)

RELATED: Tale of the Tweets: #Hercules Hits Brooklyn, deBlasio Shovels

As of midday Saturday (1/4), the sidewalk at the 27 Cranberry Street construction site has gone uncleared. Considering the project has not been welcomed with open arms by residents of the North Heights, a little charm offensive in the form of sidewalk shoveling would have gone a long way this week. Of course, if the work was contracted and the person charged with the responsibility was a no-show that would be a slightly different story.

Any other problem sites in Brooklyn Heights? Comment below.

GIF -> DEBLASIO'S SON IS NOW SPRINKLING SALT ON THE S... on Twitpic

Share this Story:

  • ralphpal

    you could sued if you shovel your sidewalk . where-as if you don’t and someone slip your protected

  • BrooklynCoffeeLover

    That is such a backwards law. Our neighbors never shovel (snow still on the ground from last snow storm) and they live on a slanted sidewalk. It’s so easy for people to slip. If someone gets hurt, the building owner is not responsible? Am I reading that correctly?

  • Heights Observer

    That is so not true. This urban legend deserves to be put to rest.

    These amateur liability attorneys should get their facts right. There is NO legal protection for nor clearing your sidewalk – period!

  • Darwin

    Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundo. Do not under any circumstances take legal advice from the comments section of a blog post.

  • Knight

    What the mayor actually did was take time out for a politically correct photo-op. He even got his popular son in on it. I’m sure there were a lot of more important things that were deserving of his time.
    But as for the Heights, you are correct; we have no excuse. I will call out Educational Housing Services in particular. Their properties are on heavily foot-trafficked streets by the 2/3 subway station and they only clear a path about two feet wide whenever it snows.

  • ralphpal

    well I knew that it happen to someone . It was 20 years ago so maybe the law changed but it was true. In fact I put up a slippery when wet sign when it snows . It might not be true but then again …… remember in some states the law still says you cant ride a horse on sunday

  • gc

    Good start for de Blasio. Streets pretty clear and the Promenade given special attention.

  • http://hubb.me/blog Joshua Ness

    It would be neat to see BHB do a follow-up on the referenced Times article. It’s about 17 years old, and it mentions a possible change to the liability statute at the time.

  • BrooklynBugle

    Calling all lawyers!

    Yes, we will follow up.

  • Andrew Porter

    Second draft: I’ll just say that I love people who post in clichés…

  • Sonali

    This blog is my first. Consider me not well versed. Do not, philistines and erudites, use this venue to showcase your pathetic need for attention… to use this platform to spar weak wit and dribble. You bore me.
    Go on YouTube to promote yourselves. I might even be entertained.
    Pictures, information, beauty, recognition, appreciation, a post to ask for help and a post to give help…a sharing of ideas and talents. … This is better, no?
    Before your ego ravages your mind & propel fingers on your keyboard to find fault in me; find a true , honest & open vulnerability, just breathe.

  • BrooklynBrutus

    You know where else NEVER shovels and elderly neighbors always slip on the ice that forms? On Henry, between Andy’s Chinese Food and the Lebanese Church. Anyone know why no one novels there (in front of the old ratty yard?)

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    To all fellow dog parents in the neighborhood and beyond:
    Some people apparently think their obligation clean up after their dog is suspended whenever it snows, it isn’t.
    Over the past couple of days, while walking my dog, I observed over a dozen sites where dog waste was not cleaned up. This lack of basic civility is not only disgusting but somewhat mind-boggling as it is no harder to clean up the waste in the snow.
    Please be sure to clean up all your dogs pooh before, during and after snowstorms.

  • Jorale-man

    Shoveling was never done in front of the townhouses at 160-162 Clinton Street. Just sayin’…

  • Cranberry Beret

    Totally agree. This morning, on a walk across half the neighborhood, I encountered no less than 6 big piles of fresh dog waste, right on the sidewalk, which could have been easily picked up. I’m sorry if it’s inconvenient to stop in the rain to pick it up, but if you can’t be bothered with the responsibility, don’t own a dog. (Don’t even get me started on why some owners can’t be bothered to direct their dogs to the curb.)

  • Fritz

    Dog parents? Whatever you feel, dogs are not equivalent to children. Few of us allow our children to pee in the street, outside emergencies.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    “Parents” a metaphor, duh….
    Dogs pee in the street, get over it.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Yes, there is no excuse for not picking up, rain or shine. However, it isn’t always a simple matter to get a dog to “go” curbside. As diligent as I am at directing my dog to go at the curb sometimes he just goes where he needs to… Which is one of the vey reasons it is so infuriating when unscrupulous humans don’t clean up after their dogs; it becomes far more difficult to keep a dog walking curbside when you are forced to dodge “land-mines”.