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Somerville committee weighs adding curb cuts to sidewalk snow-removal rule; sends legal and operational questions back to staff
Summary
The Legislative Matters Committee discussed an amendment to require property owners to clear snow from abutting curb cuts at crosswalks but held the item for further work with the law department and public works on scope and enforceability.
The Somerville Legislative Matters Committee discussed, but did not adopt, a proposed amendment to Section 12-8(a) of the Code of Ordinances that would require property owners to clear "abutting curb cuts" (where sidewalks meet crosswalk curb drops) when removing snow.
Why it matters: Committee members said the change is intended to reduce snow- and ice-related accessibility barriers at curb ramps and crosswalks, but members and city staff raised capacity and implementation concerns that prompted the committee to keep the item in committee for further drafting.
What happened at the meeting Chair Lance Davis introduced the item and expressed reservations about making property owners responsible for large plow piles and other burdens that may be created when municipal plows clear streets. "I hesitate to find people for not having done this within the next period of time because, frankly ... those plow mountains can be pretty significant," Davis said.
Public-works and accessibility perspective - Commissioner Joe Lathan (Department of Public Works) told the committee that "as of 02/2022, we had 1,576 curb cuts in the city," and that "there's really no feasible way that DPW would be able to clear every single curb cut in the city" after every storm. Lathan said DPW prioritizes curb cuts near squares, major arterial streets, transit stops and school walking routes and deploys contractors on larger storms. - Interim Deputy Director Matthew Zaino (ISD) recommended narrowing the amendment so it applies only to curb cuts that lead to crosswalks rather than every curb cut (for example, the end of private driveways). He suggested working with the law department to adjust the draft language.
Policy options discussed - Councilor Scott proposed limiting any new curb-cut requirement to commercial properties or multiunit residential buildings above a unit threshold (for example, buildings with 10 or more units) to avoid undue burden on single-family homeowners and small property owners. Several councilors and staff supported further analysis of whether such a threshold or a commercial-only approach would be legally and administratively workable.
Next steps and staff direction The committee asked staff to consult with the law department on whether the city may legally limit any new curb-cut responsibility to specified property types or unit counts, and to seek input from Economic Development on business impacts. Legislative analyst Brandon Salisbury and liaison Yasmin Radasi agreed to coordinate follow-up work with Deputy City Solicitor David Shapiro and DPW.
Ending The item remains in committee for further legal drafting and operational review. The committee suggested staff develop a more targeted proposal (for example, limited to curb cuts at crosswalks and possibly to commercial properties or larger multifamily buildings) and bring revised language back to the committee after consultation with DPW, ISD, economic development and the law department.
