Living in the off-campus area can be dangerous when sidewalks are not cleared of snow and ice.
“The efforts to remove snow from off campus are ridiculous,” said James Finley, a senior in business. “One day I was walking and actually slipped and fell on some ice that was hidden beneath the snow.”
It is a little-known fact that property owners are responsible for the sidewalks on their property.
Mary Carran Webster, the assistant director of public service for the city of Columbus, said Columbus city code dictates that property owners are to remove snow and ice daily, and if that is not possible, they are required to put down sand or salt.
“Putting down salt or even shoveling is what is expected of property owners,” Webster said.
“I rent from Inn-Town Homes and I am always impressed with how efficient they are with salting the steps of my complex. However, it’s quite disappointing that I risk falling every few steps because other property owners never clear their sidewalks,” said Amy Fuller, a junior in speech and hearing science.
“We don’t play a watchdog role, but we encourage students to call their landlords and ask for sidewalks to be cleared,” Webster said.
Snow that doesn’t get cleared gets stomped on by hundreds of students and becomes slick, creating a safety risk. More snow falls and the cycle continues.
“Calcium chloride is the best way to remove snow and ice when the temperatures are as low as they have been recently, but property owners in the off- campus area just don’t have access,” Webster said.
“With the recent snowfalls, I have noticed sidewalks are particularly bad on Woodruff Avenue and High Street. It makes me wonder if landlords and property owners are aware they are expected to remove snow and ice, or if they are just being negligent,” Fuller said.
