The Orange Department of Public Works has released its snow plowing policy for the 2021-2022 winter season.
There are over 11o miles of streets in Orange, according to the department, and snow removal can cost up to $2,500. The streets are plowed and sanded in order of priority, with main roads addressed first with special attention to steep hills and difficult intersections. Side streets are done next, then dead-end streets.
“Side streets will remain unplowed if the main roads require repeat plowing due to heavy volume of snowfall. This may not seem fair to the residents of side streets or dead-ends. However, the main roads must remain open,” the policy says.
All snowplows angle to the driver’s right., which is the reason snow is pushed in front of driveways during plowing. Homeowners in Orange are responsible for access to their own driveways.
The town will mailboxes and posts damaged by plowing, but only those that are actually struck by the plow blade. Mailboxes that fall from the plowed snow are the owners’ responsibility. Usually, a paint mark or tire tracks provide evidence of a mailbox strike.
The Orange DPW in its policy recommends the use of a four-by-four-inch wooden posts or two-inch metal pipes and metal mailboxes, rather than plastic mailboxes or posts.
Orange prohibits private plow contractors from pushing snow from private driveways or parking lots onto town streets. This practice is dangerous and impedes the town’s snow removal efforts. If there is no other alternative to pushing the snow into the street, the plow driver must plow off the windrow left across the street by re-plowing until the road is safe. This may not necessarily mean bare pavement, but it should be no worse than when the driver began work.
Orange’s snow removal ordinance takes effect on Nov. 1 of each year and continues to April 1 of the following year. There is no parking on public roads during snowstorms while the ordinance is in effect. Should your vehicle be parked on the street causing an obstruction to snow removal vehicles, your vehicle may be ticketed or removed by the police department. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for the cost of removal and any other subsequent fees.
The Highway Department recommends Orange residents install “snow stakes” now before the ground freezes. It is difficult to distinguish between the pavement edge and the edge of a lawn in heavy snowfall. Installing stakes along property edges as close to pavement as possible without interfering with traffic helps homeowners avoid lawn damage, especially for properties with underground sprinklers or invisible fencing. Snow stakes should be 30 inches to 36 inches high and can be purchased at a local hardware store. Paint the top 3 inches of wooden stakes red to increase visibility against snow.
The Orange Department of Public Works is available at 203-891-4775.