Plowing recap: key questions, answers about Snowmageddon 2014

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?

Answer: Everything except two courts (Warbler and Tanager) was done by Tuesday night, which was on par with surrounding neighborhoods and about 24 hours after the snow had stopped early Monday. The city of Indianapolis/Lawrence were a day behind or longer in many areas. Anyone who drove Hague Road or the surrounding streets Monday knows first-hand just how bad the storm was and how our plowing stacked up against others.

Question: What was the strategy?

Answer: For snows of more than 4 inches, Eagle Nest’s long-standing policy is to address the main thoroughfares first so emergency vehicles can access the neighborhood. After that, the inlets or necks of cul-de-sacs are plowed to do the same, but not the entire circle. Once emergency access is established throughout the neighborhood, plowing continues until everything – including the interiors of the cul-de-sacs -- has been cleared.

For cul-de-sacs in particular, the Board has the option of making two passes around the outside perimeter edges to clear a path for residents while leaving the center untouched. This option is most effective for snowfalls around 3-5 inches and is employed by municipalities in other states with larger snowfalls. Unfortunately, last weekend’s large, fast accumulation prevented that option this time and forced us to alter our approach.

Question: Why are cul-de-sacs so difficult to plow?

Answer: Not all courts are the same size, which means there sometimes is less space to push the snow. Obviously, that doesn’t mean our contractor should block driveways with snow, but sometimes mistakes happen. We had reports of at least two blocked driveways, and in both cases our contractor returned to correct the problem within 24 hours. Plowing crews have been instructed to push snow out of cul-de-sacs to the inlet necks or straight out to the facing lots, but that’s not always feasible when vehicles are left in the roadway.

Question: Any problems?

Answer: A variety --  a lot of snow, record-cold temperatures, a handful of roadways obstructed by resident vehicles. Our contractor had two mechanical problems, a flat tire while working Tanager Court and a radiator leak while working on Mockingbird Lane. Both incidents forced a delay in work on those areas. Further, the extreme cold prevented effective use of salt, inhibiting the breakdown of snowpack and ice. Lastly, Mayor Greg Ballard imposed a travel ban Monday for all but emergency vehicles, restricting our crews’ ability to work the roads.

Again, the Board can’t emphasis enough the importance of keeping the roads clear of vehicles during snowfall. Vehicles parked along the curb interfere with our plowing efforts, create dangerous roadblocks, obstruct motorists’ view and is inconsiderate to neighbors who pay for and deserve clear roads in a timely manner. If you see a neighbor’s car in the street during a storm, please contact them and ask them to move it.

Question: Why didn’t the plowing crews keep up with the snow as it fell?

Answer: It would not have been economically feasible to have a crew come back every three to four hours, not unless everyone wants to pay higher dues. Plowing costs range from $1,500 to $2,000 to do the entire neighborhood, including salt and followup. The Board decided to wait for the bulk of the storm to pass before having the contractor begin secondary runs. Late in the storm cycle, however, the travel ban was instituted. Our crews are human, of course, and can’t work around the clock. They needed to sleep sometime.

Question: Why were there repeated passes, forcing residents to shovel the ends of their driveways for two days?

Answer: Simply put, the repeated passes were necessary for overall neighborhood safety. Many of our roads simply were not deemed passable enough to leave things be after plowing the first day. That was true in virtually every corner of the city. Our plowing contractor could only do so much that first 24 hours, and then the travel ban was issued. Further, the harsh conditions made it difficult to see the curbs were during the initial plowing, resulting in countless inaccessible mailboxes. That was corrected by extra runs.

Question: Any damage reported?

Answer: Two mailboxes were knocked off their posts along Teel Way. The Board is working with the contractor to make contact and arrange repairs soonest.

Question: How many complaints were reported?

Answer: Clubhouse Manager Kelly Wright and President Scott Thien received about two dozen communications from 15 households via email or phone calls. Ten of them were questions about the timing of the plowing or requests, seven were negative, and six were positive* or thank you emails.
(*Editor's note: Since this post was made, the Board received two more complimentary emails regarding the plowing, bringing the total of positive emails to eight.)

Question: How did the Board communicate with the neighborhood about the plowing?

Answer: The Board relied on three main communication channels: the Eagle Nest blog, Facebook and Constant Contact email blast. The blog is the primary source for neighborhood news and carried daily updates the whole week. Our Facebook page content is lifted directly to the blog. Urgent messages – such as the pre-storm warning and request to remove cars from roadways – go out via Constant Contact, our monthly email-based messaging tool. Here’s how to access each:

1. Blog: Bookmark the public site http://eaglenestindy.blogspot.com
2. Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ENPOA/253652287516 (Register, then search ENPOA)
3. Constant Contact: Send an email to enpoa_sec@att.net to subscribe to our free email blast.

Please note: These are the only official sources for Eagle Nest news. Other outlets or sites purporting to contain neighborhood news are not endorsed by the Board and may contain inaccuracies. The Board encourages all residents to utilize at least one of these options to stay informed about important neighborhood news, events, crime developments, etc.

Question: What is the Board’s grade for the plowing?

Answer: Solid B. One Board member gave an A, five members gave Bs of varying degrees and one gave an F.

Do you have a question or comment? As always, the Board welcomes residents’ feedback. Feel free to email Kelly Wright or Scott Thien with your comments. Thanks for your patience and understanding during what turned out to be a storm unmatched in decades. Here’s to hoping that was the last big snow of the season!

-- Submitted by Scott Thien