Were You Warned to Clear Sidewalk?

Mother Nature has cleared most of the snow from last Saturday's storm off of Barrington's sidewalks.

If you didn't clear the sidewalks yourself by 6 pm last Sunday, you might have  received a warning from the police department.

Chief John LaCross said officers began giving out warnings when the 6 pm deadline came and went on the day after the snowfall ended. That’s one of the changes in Barrington’s amended snow removal ordinance.

The ordinance, 164-5, states that anyone having “the care of any building or lot of land bordering on any street, highway, square or public place within the town where there is a sidewalk shall, by 6 pm the day following any snowfall,” remove it from the sidewalk and areas surrounding fire hydrants.  

This section also applies to falling snow and/or ice from rooftops.

If you fail to clear the snow as required by the ordinance, you may be fined $50. That’s the other change to the ordinance. Fines previously started at $10.

You can claim a physical hardship if you are incapable of removing the snow or you lack the financial means to pay for snow removal. Apply for a hardship waiver with the director of the Department of Public Works.

The police chief is asking for your cooperation after any snowstorm, especially if you live near a school. The ordinance’s intent is to not to provide income for the town but to provide a safe route for anyone using sidewalks.

To view a map of all the paved sidewalks in town, log onto the Barrington police website.  Double-click the snow plow.