Months Later, The Snow Remains

The Blizzard of 2010 may be just a distant memory for most, but for some oceanfront residents in Spring Lake, every morning is a reminder of the winter storm.

Months after the streets were cleared and sanity was restored, the last, lingering signs of the massive snowfall have been left to melt along the scenic Spring Lake oceanfront, ruining the multi-million dollar view for a handful of affected homes.

A massive snow pile stretching one block along the east side of Ocean Avenue between Washington and Jersey avenues began as a logistical necessity and has denigrated into an eyesore for residents in that area and for any number of passers-by.

During a recent meeting of the Spring Lake Mayor and Council, Borough Administrator Brian Dempsey said that the severe circumstances of the Dec. 26 snowstorm led the borough to create the pile.

Dempsey explained that a special apparatus was brought in during the storm to create the pile, which eventually towered near 30 feet. Spreading the snow out would have required the machine to be broken down and reassembled at another location. Given the amount of snow that blanketed borough streets, an estimated 35 inches, the idea of downtime for public works to reassemble the machine was not feasible.

"If we can spread spread it out, we do spread it out," Dempsey said.

This was not enough for one Ocean Avenue resident.

Tony Zauner called the move "unfair and inequitable" and explained that the snow pile had obstructed his home's ocean view, even from the second floor.

The pile, which began white, was an attraction for local youths, who took to sledding down it, though that was quickly quashed by local officials who saw the mound and its proximity to a major roadway to be an "attractive nuisance."

It has slowly deteriorated through the weeks since the storm and while it has diminished in height, it has also taken on a filthy, dirt brown tone and is showing all manner of debris from leaves and tree branches to trash and broken bottles.

While elected officials were quick to offer apologies, Zauner could not be consoled.

"I think it was a poor decision," he said. "Common sense would say you do it differently."