Snow Plow Accident Could Mean Shorter Boulevard

Deborah Smith is not happy that parking could be restricted on her block of Majestic Hills Drive.

"Why do I need to be penalized because your drivers don't know what they're doing?" she asked trustees at the continual committee meeting Tuesday.

The subject of parking in the 8900 block of Majestic Hills Drive was being addressed because during a snow storm in February, one of the Sturtevant DPW personnel hit a van at the corner while out plowing. To help avoid another incident, DPW Director Charles Stachowski asked trustees to consider making the first 80 feet going east and west from 90th street along Majestic Hills no parking.

And that's what has Smith and neighbor Denise DeKeuster annoyed.

"Why penalize us all year for something that happens the few times it snows?" DeKeuster asked. "Can't it be more specific?"

The issue is that Majestic Hills was constructed with a boulevard, making lanes 17 feet wide. Plow trucks need 12 feet of clearance, which can be dicey when cars are parked on village roads and snow needs plowing. At the turn, trucks actually need more space to maneuver.

When a snow emergency is declared, parking is prohibited on all Sturtevant streets, but this incident did not occur during a snow emergency.

Village President Steve Jansen urged fellow board members to think outside the box for a solution because, he said, residents should be able to park in front of their homes and/or have visitors who need to park in front of their homes.

"Let's not just make this a 'no' like other communities, where street parking is off limits as soon as there's two inches of snow," he said.

DeKeuster suggested shortening the boulevard to give plows the turning radius they need, which Jansen thought was a good idea.

In the end, members of the Public Safety and Health committee asked Village Clerk/Interim Administrator Mary Cole and Stachowski to get cost estimates on shortening the boulevard to see if it can be worked into the 2013 budget.

As Smith and DeKeuster were leaving, Trustee Chris Larsen thanked them for being engaged and asked them to continue to participate as the village works toward a solution.

"We'd love to stay involved, so thank you," Smith said. "We'd love to be part of a positive process."