Eagle Nest Blog

Eagle Nest residents, Don't put your trash out tonight. Because of the expected extreme cold this week, the City of Indianapolis has cancelled pickups Monday-Wednesday. A double pickup of trash will be next Monday, Feb. 3. More details from the city's website: http://www.indy.gov/eGov/City/DPW/Trash/Pages/TrashHome.aspx

By now, a lot of folks probably are tired of the snow. After the record storm earlier this month it's easy to understand why. But if your lot is fronted by a sidewalk, the Eagle Nest Board asks for your help in keeping the pathway clear. City of Indianapolis code mandates that home and business owners are responsible for clearing their own sidewalks and access ramps. According to the code, if snow or ice falls and builds up after 7 p.m., it must be removed or a path must be cleared by 9 a.m. the next day. If snow or ice falls or builds up on those sidewalks after 9 a.m., it must be removed or a path cleared by 7 p.m. Those who fail to do so could be subject to a $50 fine. But the real reason to clear our sidewalks isn't to avoid a fine. Simply put, it's the neighborly thing to do. Despite the weather, we have a fair number of residents who walk and job the neighborhood, including some with motorized wheelchairs. Further, depending on the circumstances, you could be...

Now that Snowmageddon 2014 is over, it’s time for a Q&A about how Eagle Nest weathered the storm. The Board heard from several residents, many with questions, complaints and compliments, so the following themes are centered on those communications. First, reminder about how bad it was: Snow began falling the morning of Sunday, Jan. 5, and didn’t stop until the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 6. Official accumulation was 11 inches – about an inch an hour – the second-biggest snowfall in Indianapolis history, and the minus-15 temperature Monday morning was the coldest in 20 years. Most businesses were closed Monday, many on Tuesday. Lawrence Township schools were closed the entire week. Tens of thousands were without power, though luckily few in our neighborhood were affected. In short, it was very bad. (To read more about the severity of the storm, click here for a Page One Sunday story from The Indianapolis Star .) Question: How long did it take to plow the neighborhood? Answe...

Residents should be aware that our plowing contractor is watching neighborhood conditions and may run his blade in certain areas to address ice ruts and slush buildup. In other words, don't be surprised if you find a pile of snow at the food of your driveway when you wake up or get home from work in the next day or two. Such continuing treatments are necessary to ensure the overall safety in the neighborhood. We want to see dry pavement as soon as possible! A handful of residents have complained about having to shovel multiple times since the storm hit, a fact that's simply unavoidable in some areas. Most residents, however, have been pleased with our crews' work and understand the challenges presented in plowing in such harsh conditions. If you've been out on Hague Road and other surrounding streets you know how well off we actually are. Finally, as warmer weather and possible rain approach this weekend, ice jams likely will form around sewer drains. The Eagle Ne...

The Eagle Nest Board of Directors would like to thank residents for their patience and understanding as our contractors worked to clear our streets during extremely difficult and record-setting weather conditions. Granted, it took crews more than two days to finish our neighborhood (Warbler and Tanager courts were the last to be cleared Tuesday morning). But as many of you know, Sunday's storm was unlike any Indianapolis has seen in decades: heavy snow accumulations, deadly cold temperatures, massive business closures and power failures, and a mayoral decree to ban all road travel except for emergency vehicles. Our crews worked long and late hours, encountering mechanical challenges beyond their control. Yet in the end, all our streets -- including the cul-de-sacs, long ignored in years past -- were cleared better than most of the surrounding neighborhoods. Compare our final plow job to DPW's efforts on public streets and the value of our contractor's work becomes quite...

Please remove vehicles from roadways before snowfalls. As of 4 p.m., our snow plowing contractor resumed work. Crews started by the 75th Street entrance and are working their way in, attacking the cul-de-sacs first, then cleaning up the main thoroughfares. So far, Osprey, Tern and Hummingbird have been done, as well as Goldfinch and Sandpiper near the 82nd Street entrance. Lots of work remains  on Dove, Quail, Mockingbird, Heron and Tanager, however. White Dove needs a lot of work, too, and the contractor is aware of that. The expectation is that the work will be completed today, hopefully by 8-9 p.m. In the meantime, the Eagle Nest Board appreciates your patience and understanding. This DPW truck was stuck near 75th and Hague Road today. The extreme conditions haven't been easy for our crews. The massive amount of snow and dangerous temperatures delayed work, and then Indianapolis issued a travel ban. Adding to the difficulties, some residents failed to remove thei...

Good morning, Eagle Nest neighbors. A quick update on the plowing situation: > Crews began about 2 a.m., focusing on clearing the main roads and the "necks" or inlets of all the cul-de-sacs to ensure emergency vehicle access. The main roads are passable but not completely plowed side to side. Crew took a break about 7 a.m. > Plowing will resume about 10:30 a.m., focusing on finishing all the courts -- including the interior circles. They then will return to plowing the main routes gutter to gutter. Because of the amount of snowfall, crews may have to make several passes to clear the roads, so be prepared to clear the mouth of your driveway more than once. A note to cul-de-sac residents: Please be patient. It takes time to plow your type of street. We've asked our crews to pile the snow on open lot spaces, not between driveways or near mailboxes. Please refrain from complaining about excess snow on your property; the snow has to go somewhere. We simply can...

As you may have heard, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has issued a travel warning through noon Monday (Jan. 6), meaning only essential personnel (police, fire, DPW, emergency, etc.) are allowed on the roadways. Violators could be ticketed, depending on the circumstance. As a result, our effort to clear Eagle Nest streets and cul-de-sacs could be delayed until late Tuesday. As you can imagine, snow removal is a tricky business, given the potential for changing weather conditions. Sunday's storm certainly fit that bill. Accumulations were heavy and fast, then temperatures dropped -- quickly followed by the travel ban. ( Click here to read a WTHR story about Ballard's decision ) That’s why the Eagle Nest Board asks for your caution and patience as we work to get our neighborhood moving again. The Board has heard from a few of you, and we thank you for your suggestions and constructive criticism. In the meantime, we hope everyone is staying warm and safe during this reco...

Eagle Nest residents, As you know, Indianapolis is expecting anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of snow beginning tonight, Saturday, Jan. 4, overnight and into Sunday, Jan. 5. The Eagle Nest Board requests all residents remove vehicles from the roadways and park them in driveways for the next day. Our snow plow contractor's job is hard enough without having to maneuver around such obstacles. Neither the Board nor its plowing contractor will be responsible for vehicles that are "plowed in" on streets. Also, please be patient. We will plow the neighborhood -- twice if needed -- but we have to time the work to the storm. For snow events as big as what is predicted, our contractor will let an accumulation build up before working our neighborhood. It may be hours into the snow before you'll see a plow. Why? We get charged every time our contractor works the neighborhood; we simply can't afford to clear the roads at every two inches  Not unless you want your dues...