STORM UPDATE

Our snow removal contract with Down to Earth (DTE) requires them to plow the roads in our community.   When the snow stops falling, and the roads are completed, DTE starts to clear driveways of those on service and the aprons of all homes.   Our own maintenance staff is responsible for the clearing of snow from all of our paths and parking lots that serve our clubhouses and office buildings.   In addition, they are responsible for the plowing and maintenance of both the front and back gate entrances and the application of salt to them, when necessary.   Our staff applies the salt to the roads or a portion of the roads with the Association’s salt spreader and salt, when necessary, after all of the snow removal has been completed.   There are times when the roads are icy and salt is applied, even if there is no snow. Salt is applied to roads only – not driveways. Salting the driveways and service walks is a homeowners’ responsibility.   Calcium chloride is recommended rather than rock salt.   Our staff also applies appropriate materials to the clubhouses’ sidewalks. 

Plowing usually begins when three inches of snow has accumulated on the roads, depending on the forecasted weather and temperature.   The Community Manager and Maintenance Manager make the determination with DTE.   Removal of snow from the driveways and service walks of those on Optional Lawn and Snow Service does not begin until the streets have been cleared and the snow has stopped, depending on the weather forecast and conditions.   If the snow has melted down on the driveways to less than three inches, the snow may not be removed from these surfaces, especially if this occurs in the daytime, as there may be virtually little or no snow to remove from most driveways. 

The order in which driveways are cleared is as follows:   

The Community is divided into four sections.   Each section gets its own crew.   The homes on these streets are done in the order shown on the Snow Removal Schedule included in this Knoll News, ensuring that each time the snow falls, each section and street is treated fairly. The Schedule picks up where the last snowfall left off the prior year.   In subsequent snows, if any, the “Number 1” becomes the last one done and everyone moves up one spot.

Special priority for driveway clearing is given to certain “critical care” residents, limited to persons requiring access to a scheduled form of life-sustaining treatments, such as dialysis and chemotherapy. Proof of this must be given to the office before the start of the snow season and a list is maintained of these persons’ driveways, which are cleared first by a special crew. Fortunately, the list of critical care residents is not long.

Priority is not given to those residents who need to go to work or who have appointments.   It would be very inefficient to have so much heavy equipment going around randomly throughout every street doing just one or two driveways on each street and then come back hours later to do the rest of the street’s driveways.   It is estimated that it would close to double the time it takes to do the whole community and, therefore, would be not only unfair to the other residents, but also very expensive. 

If there is an emergency and you must call an ambulance or police and are not plowed out yet, 

CALL 911   

Then, call the front gate immediately so that, if possible, a crew can be dispatched to assist the emergency responders with entering and exiting your home. 

The driveways are cleared using two steps: 

First, a tractor with a back blade backs into the driveway in stages (depending on the depth of the snow) to draw the snow away from the driveway and out onto the road. Then, a small machine called a Bobcat clears the street snow down by the curb. One or more pieces of heavier equipment then disposes of the snow as close by the driveway as possible, usually on the lawns. 

Second, a crew of DTE’s shovelers has the job of clearing a path from your door to the driveway following the cement path (not to your car door).   They also clear in front of the garage about two (2) feet in width, so that the plow does not have to come up close to the garage door.   If there is a car in the driveway, they clear two feet from the back of the car for the same reason.   They will not clear near the garage door, nor will they clear on the sides of the car to avoid damage.   In order to keep the machines operating at top efficiency, these shovelers follow the machines so as not to slow down the machines’ progress.

In order to know when you are going to be plowed, first, refer to the Snow Schedule above with the four Section street list which you can also find in the current issue of the Knoll News and on Community Channel 1970.  

We will try our best to post up to date information on this website and on Community Channel 1970 about the progress of the snow removal crews with periodic updates throughout the snow event as appropriate.

If you have a two-car garage, your full driveway will be cleared, up to the width of the double garage doors, presuming you do not have a car or cars in your driveway.   If you do, they will only clear to two feet from the back of the car or cars, and to the garage door if there is only one car.

If you have a single car garage but a double driveway, before the season starts, DTE will indicate where the edge of the double driveway is by placing markers (stakes) on each side down by the street.   This will help the machine operator to see the edges and do the best job that he can.   If your driveway is not staked by mid-November, they may have missed your driveway.   Let the office know and they will inform DTE.  

It should take about twenty-four (24) hours per foot of snow, from the time the snow stops, to clear every driveway, depending upon the temperature.   If less than a foot, it will take less time.   If you decide to remove the snow from your driveway yourself, please wait until the snow stops, because, as long as it is still snowing, the plows are required to clear the roads and will place snow at the entrance to your driveway.   They will still come with machines and complete the removal once the snow stops.   Doing it yourself does not entitle anyone to deduct that cost from their Association fee.   Under no circumstances should you offer or accept an offer from DTE employees to “do your driveway”, since they are forbidden to do so until their job is completely done.

If you have a complaint about how the snow was removed or realize that your driveway or apron was skipped, the sooner you let us know, the sooner we can get DTE out to handle the issue.   There are two ways: Call the Association Office 

(732-657-6661) during office hours or leave a message if it’s after hours.   You should also write a letter if you call to report property damage.   It will be repaired by DTE as quickly as possible following snow clearing and as weather permits. 

The Board of Trustees and the staff are always looking to improve service to our residents and many of the suggestions which we have received in prior years have been implemented, when possible.   

We will keep you updated via the Knoll News, the Community Channel 1970 and on this website.