Downtown Not Feeling the Love as Snow ‘Mountain’ Blocks Valentine's Day Shoppers

During a time of year filled with warm greeting card messages, roses and plenty of love, some local business owners are feeling red for an entirely different reason.

That’s because a couple tons of snow were dumped in front of several Depot Square stores following last weekend's blizzard, and the store owners are tired of contending with an issue that could potentially turn customers away or put them in danger.

“This is possibly the worst time in the world this could happen,” said Seacoast Florist owner Cindy Willis, who said Valentine’s Day — which is Thursday — is one of her best sales weeks of the year. “This holiday is all last-minute. Others I have a lot more time to prepare [bouquets and flower arrangements]."

Willis is one of several business owners attempting to rally attention to a problem that Willis said isn't new. Two years ago Willis said lot owner Stan Brown also determined the best place to store snow removed from his properties is in the lane in front of Seacoast Florist, KatDancin' Studio and the Kitchen at Depot Square, which was closed at noon Wednesday.

The issue was minimal in 2012 thanks to an overall lack of snowstorms, but Willis said she found Sunday that a "ridiculous" amount of snow was "all the way up to the building" and completely covering the sidewalk after a plowing company hired by Brown dumped the snow in the area after the blizzard ended Saturday.

The problem, though, is that the businesses feel the town nor Brown are doing enough to correct the problem.

“I don’t know of a city that doesn’t have its parking issues, but they work together to get it resolved,” said Willis. “Unfortunately, in this community it’s divided us.”

Brown couldn't be reached for comment.

The town of Hampton was responsible for snow removal in Depot Square until three years ago, according to Willis. She said the town told Brown it would no longer plow the area unless a fire lane needed was installed, and Brown was allegedly opposed to installing a fire lane.

Willis said she doesn't "fault" Brown — who owns the sidewalks, parking spaces and pavement in front of that section of Depot Square businesses — for trying to hold Hampton to a handshake agreement he made with the town in the 1970s for snow removal services, although she said it's frustrating neither side has "done anything" in three years despite requests from the businesses and residents.

She also said it's frustrating that the plowing company hired by Brown, Vic Lessard and Son, is allegedly asking for $600 to come back and remove the snow.

The story has caught the attention of local media outlets, as well as TV news stations from as far away from Boston, Mass., and Portland, Maine. A e-mail chain started by Experience Hampton President John Nyhan has also begun circulating, and residents are hoping that resolution will come soon thanks to heightened awareness of the issue.

"This is just not right!" wrote Nyhan in the e-mail. "We need to come forward as a community and help those that have helped us."

Willis said she has requested to have an appointment during the next Hampton Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday to discuss the issue publicly. She said the land is technically private property, although the town uses the gazebo for public events and should be "accountable" for something that places local residents in harm's way.

Town Manager Fred Welch couldn't be reached for comment.