Snow Shoveling in Berwyn

[Toria]

Who is responsible for shoveling sidewalks in Berwyn?  I thought I read that the city shovels the walks.  I know this is out of season but I am trying to do research ahead of time.  Are their any ordinances regarding snow shoveling responsibilities? Thanks!!

[mom]

Really? Each homeowner is responsible for his or her own snow shoveling. What type of people are moving into this town who have to ask things like this? And research???

I apologize, but guess I have become a crazy old lady after all. Those types of questions would have never popped into my mind at any time of my life. I feel sorry for this generation who can't do anything for themselves or without hours of "research".

[Good Time Charlie]

City barely shovels streets. Homeowner supposed to do sidewalks and alley.

[frankvdv]

See the City of Berwyn website for all info needed - http://berwyn-il.gov/

[Toria]

Hey Mom, I asked a polite question.  I know that some municipalities do actually have sidewalk plows and do this.  Apparently Berwyn does not.  Berwyn does have quite a few codes and regulations and as a new building owner, I do need to find out about them so I can be in compliance.  And don't assume I am a young person.  I am 63 years old and may be older than you.

[exPROPer]

Toria - you will find that some people use this site to constantly snipe at others.  It can get very nasty.  Welcome to Berwyn!  Your question made sense.  Cicero, for one, is a town that has crews out doing the sidewalks - you'll never see that here.  The alleys are the worst and never/rarely get plowed in our area of Berwyn. 

[joe martin]

City barely shovels streets. Homeowner supposed to do sidewalks and alley.

I think berwyn actually does a great job plowing the streets. i constantly travel for work and out of many communities, berwyn does the best job plowing the snow by far!

[mustang54]

City barely shovels streets. Homeowner supposed to do sidewalks and alley.

I think berwyn actually does a great job plowing the streets. i constantly travel for work and out of many communities, berwyn does the best job plowing the snow by far!

LMAO!!!!!!!

[watcher]

From May through November
I think berwyn actually does a great job plowing the streets. i constantly travel for work and out of many communities, berwyn does the best job plowing the snow by far!

There, I fixed it.

[PamF]

City barely shovels streets. Homeowner supposed to do sidewalks and alley.

I think berwyn actually does a great job plowing the streets. i constantly travel for work and out of many communities, berwyn does the best job plowing the snow by far!

LMAO!!!!!!!

That is funny.  I don't know how Berwyn even plows a tiny path down their streets with so many cars parked on them.  Let alone the alleys or sidewalks.

[mom]

Sorry, but I still think it was a silly question that could have been answered by just asking the neighbors. There are really two types of people who have been moving into Berwyn that annoy me to no end. The gang bangers, drug addicts and other low lifes who are renting the homes. And the "investors" who are buying up buildings just to rent them out to make money. I'm not saying that you are one of those, but often the investors start by looking into what services they will need to provide for their tenants or what they can get for free from the city. Then they rent to pretty much anyone and become slumlords.

And yes, you are older than me but not by much.

[Cermakplaza]

Shouldn't this be the place to ask "silly questions" for people like Toria, who has posted in other areas about just purchasing a building and trying to comply with all the ordinances/inspections? Instead of ridiculing her questions, why shouldn't we help her out and try to answer them so she doesn't become one of those annoying ones? Welcome Toria, and good luck!

[Toria]

Thank you.  I am an investor so to speak but my son hopefully plans to live in the first floor flat.  It would be nice if actual homeowners would reside in the buildings but if individuals buy them and not live in them, as long as they keep them up, I don't see a problem.  Why assume someone is going to be a slum lord especially if they are trying to learn about the area.  I don't know any of the neighbors right now and a few buildings on the block are not occupied and I think in foreclosure.  Better a landlord who will take care of the property than something that is not occupied and will not be cared for properly.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Thank you.  I am an investor so to speak but my son hopefully plans to live in the first floor flat.  It would be nice if actual homeowners would reside in the buildings but if individuals buy them and not live in them, as long as they keep them up, I don't see a problem.  Why assume someone is going to be a slum lord especially if they are trying to learn about the area.  I don't know any of the neighbors right now and a few buildings on the block are not occupied and I think in foreclosure.  Better a landlord who will take care of the property than something that is not occupied and will not be cared for properly.

+1.  I live on a block with only two units that are multi-family.  Both were owner occupied when we moved in almost 20 years ago and remained so until one was sold last year at a very low price.  They did a complete gut rehab (great, it looks much better) and recently rented out both units.  The kids from one of the units took to using a portable basketball unit that we have in the yard that hangs over the alley.  I had to ask them not to use it because we have a smaller chain link fence and they had to come into the yard to retrieve their basketball and I was afraid of a lawsuit if someone got hurt.  Mind you, my own daughter when climbing over said fence cut her leg badly and had to have 10 stitches.  I asked once nicely, had my husband ask once nicely and the third time I went out and told them they were certainly free to use the basketball hoop but if their ball came into my yard that was private property and they could not retrieve it and I would have to go speak to their parents.  Lo and behold, today when I heard the basketball bouncing the parents had bought them their own portable basketball thing and they were playing on that.  I am glad the situation was resolved but if it was not felt really lost as to how to handle it since I don't know who owns the building and if the parents were uncooperative really did not want to have to call the authorities and would have just taken down the hoop even though my daughter still uses it and we have had it for almost twenty six years.  It's so old we can't even get it to go up or down or bend it down anymore.  I really would not want to live on a block full of multi-family units given my one experience with it.

[Toria]

Well that is one bad experience but it seems like you could have a similar experience with a single family home too.  Seems that nothing about your post could be attributed to that its a multifamily home.  I agree if I lived in a house I would not want to live in a block comprised of multifamily homes.  The block that I am on is mostly multi family with a few single family homes....but the other surrounding blocks are all single family.

[bigolo]

Mrs Northsider,  I know the building you speak of since we share the same alley. This family is already causing problems. They had a big party shortly after moving in. They set up a bouncy house for the kids in the alley blocking it almost completely.  Loud music til almost midnight! The kids that you speak of are disrespectful and would not move when my wife was coming down the alley. The little girls ride their bikes in the alley unsupervised. I've seen them out there riding at 1 am. They are like 7 years old, no parents or adults to be seen. I know the neighbors south of them also had problems with them. Someone from that house decided it was OK to wash their suv in the middle of the alley again blocking access. That building and that family are trouble!

[OakParkSpartan]

Some towns like Forest Park plow the sidewalks.  It isn't a silly question (it would be great if Berwyn did this).

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

Some towns like Forest Park plow the sidewalks.  It isn't a silly question (it would be great if Berwyn did this).

I have never heard of a suburb doing that.  Considering my tax increases the last few years (another $300 this year for a grand total of almost $7000) I would think the City of Berwyn could do it for me also.  Guess not.  I hope my slave laborer 20 year old son doesn't move away anytime soon since he shovels the snow and mows the lawn.

[watcher]

Some towns like Forest Park plow the sidewalks.  It isn't a silly question (it would be great if Berwyn did this).

Forest Park plows the sidewalks ONLY after the streets and alleys are clear. If another snowfall happens, or it's a large snow, the sidewalks are delayed. Then the business district and school routes get priority when the crews free up. It's great that they do it, but it doesn't /shouldn't relieve the homeowners from shoveling their own sidewalks.

[mustang54]

  After big snow falls Cicero has four ATV's with plows on the front that go down the sidewalks.