A week after our first major snowfall, we went for a walk through the Gloucester, Main Street District and were shocked to find that many of the sidewalks were never cleared from snow and ice from the winter storm we had a week ago. The sidewalks throughout the business district were not only a disgrace, they were down and outright dangerous to walk over. Above you can see a series of pictures we took of area conditions.
Several major shockers we found were one site that did not clear ice and snow from their sidewalks was one of the Insurance companies, Prudential and Blue Cross Blue Shield rep office on Main Street and the other big one was out in front of the Cook Foundation at the old Coke building. The Cook foundation is a part of the Gloucester Main Street Association and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust along with Attorney Hicks in the same building.
Both the Gloucester Main Street Association and the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust are always trying to promote Gloucester Main Street and here they are not even taking care of such basics as cleaning their own sidewalks. That is a disgrace.
What was even worse. We ran into several contractors measuring the sidewalks and streets as the State and Federal Government are putting money into paving the Main Street come this spring or summer. Their own take on the area sidewalks? Too narrow, littered with lightposts in the walkway, the pitch in some area were above grade making walking for anyone with a handicap, potentially very dangerous and they questioned the clearances for wheelchairs. (We did tell them that we measured these last year and they barely passed). We did not even have to point these issues out to them in the least. They already saw it.
In Washington, DC shop owners had 24 hours from the time of snowfall to clear the sidewalks in front of their businesses or get fined. Is it the policy of the county to just let shoppers fall and get hurt and just sue the businesses as an overall policy. What a great public relations effect that will have. People want businesses to come to the Main Street District but don't worry, you won't have to work to get customers, none will come with this kind of nonsense.
