The goal of the Town of Columbine Valley is to provide snow removal services to all Town streets within 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling. This time estimate is based on an average snow of 3 inches or less.
The Town’s priority is to keep arterial roadways and bus routes open to facilitate emergency traffic and citizen transportation. The second priority is to clear snow from all remaining residential streets.
Snow removal crews work in conjunction with the Town’s Police Department and with fire, paramedic and utility service providers to provide immediate access to any location where an actual life-threatening emergency exists.
To report a snow-related problem during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), please call 303-795-1434. For snow emergencies after business hours or during weekends or holidays, call Arapahoe County Dispatch at 303-795-4711 and ask to speak to a Columbine Valley Police Officer.
Snow Removal
The Town’s goal is to provide snow-removal services to all streets within 24 hours after snow stops falling. Snow-removal operations start when snow at Town Hall reaches ½-inch depth as follows:
- Emergency Access: The first priority for plowing is main roads and arterials to ensure emergency access. Residential streets follow.
- First Pass: On the first pass, snow is cleared with an 8-foot lane in each direction. Crews will continue to widen lanes during the plowing process, with the last passes designed to fully clear the snow from gutter pan to gutter pan.
- Cul-de-sacs: Generally, cul-de-sacs are cleared last as they often require alternate equipment and/or a greater time commitment.
Depending on weather conditions and snow depth, any widening, ice removal, and cleanup operations may take place several days after a snowstorm. Columbine Valley does not have a bare pavement policy.
Ice Slicer
The Town distributes Ice Slicer, a naturally occurring salt, as needed. Ice Slicer is mined and shipped from Southern Utah. The products comes from the same deposit as Real Salt, the No. 1 selling food-grade sea salt sold in health food stores.
- Timing: Generally, Ice Slicer is applied after it has stopped raining or snowing, and when ice is present on the street surface.
- Locations: Ice Slicer is applied at major intersections, steep hills and sharp curves.
- Safety: Ice Slicer is safe for pets and lawns.
Parking
Residents are encouraged to refrain from parking on the street during and immediately following a snowstorm. Parked vehicles and other obstructions interfere with the safe and continuous operation of snow removal equipment.
Driveways
Please clear snow from the driveway onto lawns or other spaces not in the public right-of-way.
- It is a violation of Colorado Revised Statute 43-5-301 to create hazards in the public right-of-way; this includes plowing snow off of private drives.
- The Town is not responsible for snow that is deposited in private driveways.
- Plow operations have very little discretion as to where the snow can go.
- The priority of the plow drivers is to clear the streets to ensure safe travel.
To minimize snow deposited from the plows onto a driveway, clear the area adjacent to the driveway as noted in the diagram below.
Mailboxes & Landscaping
During snow removal, the Town will do all that it can to not disturb mailboxes, landscaping or other improvements.
- Postal regulations require residents to clean snow from in front of mailboxes to allow for small mail delivery.
- Mailboxes and driveway entrance features installed along roadways and in right-of-ways are at the risk of the owner.
- Mailboxes damaged from lack of owner maintenance or snow load from plowing are not the responsibility of the Town.
The Town will not assume any responsibility for damage to any landscaping located within the Town’s right-of-way during snow removal operations.