During the winter months in Genesee it’s important to remember a few key things with regards to plowing. Understanding the methods and procedures involved can help everyone safely enjoy another beautiful winter here in the foothills. Our Genesee maintenance crew works tirelessly to ensure that all private drives in the community are cleared in a timely manner, but please understand that snow falls quickly here and sometimes several passes will need to be made in order to clear things completely.
Below, we have listed some important information/links that can answer most common questions regarding snow plowing in and around Genesee.
County Roads:
These are all the named roads in Genesee. The county does a good job most of the time, but Genesee Ridge gets slick very quickly. The county plows major roads first (Ridge, Trail, Vista). Once these are considered clear, they move on to secondary feeder roads (Foothills, Montane, Currant), and finally finish up with the cul-de-sacs (Stonecrop, Southridge, Jerome). Due to either budgetary considerations or weather conditions, Jefferson County may not plow smaller, non-feeder roads or cul-de-sacs.
Requests for Emergency Snow Removal: All requests for emergency snow plowing on county roads should go to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Dept. at 303-277-0211. If the request is valid, they will notify the Road & Bridge Division, and they will respond as soon as possible.
County Priorities:
- Priority 1 – Main arterial streets that provide for high traffic volumes.
- Priority 2 – Major subdivision collectors, school zones and school bus routes.
- Priority 3 – Residential or other local roads that carry moderate to low traffic volumes.
- Priority 4 – Cul-de-sacs or other dead-end roads carrying very low traffic volumes.
The County will not be plowing or putting down sand or ice melt between the hours of 9pm to 3am unless a major storm is predicted.
When snow depths seriously impede vehicle mobility and melting is NOT forecast to occur within 72 hours, Priority 3 and 4 streets will be plowed. Please note that we do not remove packed snow and ice from residential streets that are passable by passenger cars. If the forecast calls for melting within 72 hours, priority 3 & 4 streets will not be plowed.
Private Drives:
These are the roads within Genesee that are owned and maintained by the Foundation. Whenever 3 inches of snow has accumulated in the Vista parking lot, plowing may be initiated. Genesee’s private drives are divided into 4 separate plow routes. Each time we plow, the drivers start at a different point within the route. You will share the honor of periodically being either the first or last drive to be plowed.
Plow routes take between 4 and 12 hours to complete each time, depending on conditions and truck status. Due to changes in Jefferson County plow operations due to driver shortages, we will be aligning our policy to better match theirs.
Our maintenance staff is on call 24 hours a day and will plow as quickly as possible, but rate of snowfall, ice, visibility, time of day, moisture content of snow, and mechanical difficulties all contribute to when and how we plow. Please be patient during major storms. We are out plowing and trying to get you plowed out as fast as possible. If a major storm is predicted, please make plans for the possible event that you will not be able to leave your home. Staff cannot plow county roads or tow out any stuck vehicles.
All private drives are placed on a minimum 20-foot easement or tract. The paved portion of the road is about 12 feet wide. This means there is an additional area on both sides of the paved portion that is part of the Foundation easement. This area is used for drainage and maintenance, including snow placement. The Foundation is not responsible for any item placed and damaged within this area, including lights, landscaping, reflectors and rocks.
Please be aware that while we will try to work with you, it is not always possible to place snow where you request. Variables include curves, terrain, trees, slope and turn-around areas. Each driver is responsible for a particular route. The plow drivers do occasionally plow a different route than their own. What may be possible to accomplish one time may not be possible the next. We do not have agreements with any owners to plow private driveways. However, if a plow driver uses your driveway as a turnaround area, he will usually plow it as a courtesy. Use of a driveway as a turnaround area will vary with the driver and the type of snowfall. The Foundation’s plow responsibilities end at the end of each private drive, usually at the utility boxes. In the townhomes, a separate plow driver, contracted by the Townhomes Association, plows individual driveways. We plow only the private drive portion of the paved area.
Lips of Snow:
This is the infamous lip that seems to always appear right after you finally finished shoveling your driveway. Please be aware that neither the county nor Foundation crews place it there on purpose. It is an inevitable consequence of the normal plowing operation and we are not able to remove the lip during regular plowing operations due to time constraints. Our first priority is keeping the main roads and drives clear for emergency access. We apologize in advance and we will try to clean these up during mop-up after the major plowing is completed.
Mailboxes:
Shoveling out the mailboxes is the responsibility of the residents. The Foundation will clean out the mailbox areas only after the snow has stopped and all other plowing activities have been completed.
Barrels:
Foundation sand barrels are placed in slick spots. If a barrel is empty or in need of attention, please call the Foundation office.
Stuck Vehicles and Dead Batteries:
If your vehicle becomes stuck during a storm, call a tow company immediately. Abandoned vehicles quickly become a hazard for other drivers and the snowplow operators. If left too long, the county may tow your vehicle to an impound area.
Additionally, if your vehicle is blocking a road or a drive, that area will not get plowed until the vehicle is removed. PATROL VEHICLES AND FOUNDATION TRUCKS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO JUMP START OR TOW VEHICLES. We are not equipped with the equipment to complete this safely. You may want to join an auto club like AAA now just in case you need them this winter.
Final Notes:
- If you have a medical emergency, you need to call 911 immediately and they will dispatch assistance to you.
- Please yield to all plow drivers and do not follow closely behind them as they back up frequently and they may not see you.
- We do not have a priority snowplow list and cannot plow certain private drives first due to a resident being employed in the medical profession or having a plane to catch. Now is a good time to plan ahead and set up alternate arrangements if you are unable to leave your house for a period of time.
- Pay attention to the news – even if you are plowed out during a major storm, I-70 may still be closed. We will place notices on our website if a large snowfall is in the forecast.
- Stock up on food, medicine and supplies for 72 hours, charge your cell phones and have flashlights and fresh batteries on hand.
- Make advance arrangements with your workplace and stay off the roads as much as possible during and immediately following a heavy snowfall to allow plowing operations to occur.
- Talk to your neighbors and set up some communication and access plans. Are there any elderly or physically challenged residents who live nearby? They may need additional assistance during major events.
- Know where your gas meter is located; try to keep a path shoveled to it in case it needs to be turned off.And finally, during situations such as these, cooperate with your neighbors and band together as a neighborhood to help each other.