BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A layer of snow covered a full block of parking on Allen St. Tuesday.
Justin Barker owns The Standard, a barbershop near the corner of Allen and Virginia. He said plows are pushing snow onto the elevated parking spaces that are level with the sidewalk. The change is part of Allen Street's redesign project.
Barker said his clients are now unable to park outside the barbershop. He said he anticipated snow causing parking problems for the street's redesign. He wanted to know why the city did not come by with a smaller plow to clear it.
“This is a city where we get snow, and if you’re not removing it, then it’s just gonna pile up, how do we survive, how do we navigate that,” Barker said.
Buffalo's Department of Public Works Commissioner Michael Finn said crews will clear the snow overnight. He said the city was aware of the issue.
“I really think that the issue with this one is just the volume, there’s nowhere left to put it," Finn said. "So we have to go into this slower kind of custom operation where we’re literally digging the snow out and hauling it away.”
Siobhan Taylor owns MS Eye Candy Boutique, and said snow-covered spots have already hurt business.
“We have no customers for the last couple of days because who’s going to stop by," she said. "I mean there’s nowhere to park, anywhere.”
Finn said city ordinance states businesses are responsible up to the curb, but given the unique situation, the city will meet with businesses and property owners to develop a plan going forward.
He said the only other area in the city with a similar parking situation is a stretch of Main St. downtown. He said Buffalo Place plows those sidewalk parking spots, not the city.
The businesses said they are already facing obstacles due to the pandemic, and now have parking obstacles. Construction of the redesign blocked traffic and parking on the street last year.
“It’s already a difficult time, to add more to it, it definitely, it suck," she said. "It sucks to be a business on Allen St. right now.”
