Village of Lowville residents are reminded that:

It is the responsibility of the homeowner to remove the snow and ice from their sidewalks. This is a safety issue to help protect the public. If after 48 hours of a snow event, the sidewalk has not been cleared, the Department of Public Works will notify the owner, remove the snow and bill the homeowner for this service. The rate will be $50.00 per hour, with a 1-hour minimum charge.

Residents are also reminded it illegal to plow, shovel or blow snow into the street. This creates an unsafe condition for traffic and has caused accidents in the past.

Finally, it is illegal to park on Village streets from 2:00 am to 6:00 am during the winter months. This is to allow snowplows and sanding units room to do their jobs as efficiently and safely as possible. Vehicles that are parked on the streets during these hours will be ticketed by the Village Police Department or can be towed at the owners' expense.

Village of Lowville's Sidewalk Improvement Program

The Village of Lowville will continue the Sidewalk Improvement Program that allows property owners to replace qualifying sidewalks with partial reimbursement provided by the Village.  This program started in 2008.  The Village Board of Trustees is considering this as Phase I of a two or three phase, five-year program.  This initial phase is completely voluntary and it is the responsibility of the property owner to participate. Any Village of Lowville property owner is eligible to participate if their Village property taxes and water/sewer bills are paid in full.

Phase II is intended to begin in 2011.  In phase II, the Village Board will require property owners to repair sidewalks in bad condition at their expense, with no Village reimbursement.  Phase III is intended to begin 2014.  In phase III, the Village Board will direct the Village DPW to replace sidewalk at homeowner's expense.

Applicable sidewalks will meet the following conditions:

Only sidewalks on street frontage are eligible for this program.  Sidewalks that lead to a front door, along a driveway, etc. are not eligible.  Village officials will inspect the existing sidewalk and will grade it as a Level A, B, C.  Level A is in good condition and not in need of replacement.  Level B is in unsafe or poor condition and in need of replacement. Level C is where no current sidewalk exists.  If your sidewalk qualifies as a Level B or C, the Village of Lowville will provide reimbursement for replacement of those specific blocks.  Property owners will be reimbursed $2.50 per linear square foot, up to a maximum amount of $1000.  Prior to final reimbursement, the Village will perform two inspections to ensure the new sidewalk is constructed to specification.

Property owners may call the Village office to have an application mailed to them, pick up an application at the Village office or print one from the web site.  After the application is received, the property owner will then work with Village staff and proceed on construction after approval from the Village.  The Village DPW staff will schedule a time to inspect the sidewalk.  The Village will remove existing sidewalk, at no charge.  The property owner must then complete the sidewalk construction on their own or by hiring a private contractor.

Program applications and guidelines can be obtained at the Village of Lowville office at 5402 Dayan Street or downloaded from the the Village website.  Any questions about the program can be answered at 376-2834.