MAINTENANCE AND SNOW REMOVAL

Summer: During late spring, summer, and early fall, the Association's efforts are focused on the landscape. This includes weekly mowing, automated irrigation operated in compliance with any conservation rules and regulations that the City may have in effect, weeding of common garden areas, fertilization/weed control, and planting, clearing, and pruning trees and shrubs. It is during this same time that most of the Association's “capital” projects are completed, such as parking lot overlaying, patching, and crack sealing, or concrete sidewalk maintenance, replacement, and improvement.

Winter: During the winter period, the Association's efforts are focused on snow removal for Association owned parking lots and the walking mall to allow both vehicular and pedestrian access.

SNOW REMOVAL POLICIES: All parking lots, A - K, are plowed of snow during the winter. During first removal (as early as 3 - 5am), priority is given to the traffic lanes of parking lots serving lodging facilities, since most stalls are occupied by vehicles that remained over night. Next priority (around 5 - 6am) is given to parking lots whose businesses are active from 8am to 6pm, since most of the lot is open for plowing only before business hours commence. There is usually some loss of parking stalls where snow may be temporarily stored until it can be hauled away. During the day, all lots are periodically monitored so that snow plowing may occur when openings appear.

Also, not all parking lots are the same. Parking lots A & D require special treatment since they are concrete, have underground parking beneath them, and are covered with a very expensive coating. Even with special plows, there will be some amount of snow that remains on the surface. Special attention is paid to these areas with additional hand work and snow melt.

A separate crew handles the interior walking mall, which will be kept open during the winter.

A third crew also handles the sidewalk and other hand work areas that the Association has designated to be cleared. The removal of snow on and around the entry to individual buildings is the responsibility of the building owner, even though this is usually on Association owned common area. It is the same situation for most of the sidewalks on the perimeter of the Square. The sidewalk is in the City right of way, but snow removal and liability are the responsibilities of the respective property owner. Each year, the Board evaluates this area for budget purposes but has not yet determined that the item should be included on the Association's general operating budget.

Non-damaging and environmentally friendly snow melt is used throughout the Square on parking lots and sidewalks as much as possible.

The Association has a separate budget for snow hauling which is, of course, very expensive. Loading, truck time, and dump fees are all incurred. When possible, the Association stores the snow on one or two select parking lots which see minimal use. This allows for significant cost savings. However, it is becoming more scarce since more and more of the Association's parking lots are being used year round.

All of these efforts are directly related to the timing, intensity, and duration of snowfall, which is a rather unpredictable event. It is highly possible that a parking lot may be completely plowed at 5am, only to have it look like it has not been touched by 8am, when most businesses open.

Our first priority is safety. With this in mind, our efforts are focused on the most efficient and effective methods of snow removal from parking lots and other surfaces to enable our members, their tenants, guests, customers, and employees to conduct their business.