Looks like the administration has now decided they want Burger Kings' land. Must have something to do with Union Square. Why else would an Alderman be so outrageous as to call for a boycott of a city business? I'll guarantee you if you drove around the city you would find city property that hadn't yet been shovelled. And if you push Burger King maybe they will push back and be willing to fight the notion that you can be legally required to clear snow from city property. The sidewalk is not part of Burger Kings' property, it belongs to, and is maintained by, the city.

Shouldn't the official position of a city official be to follow the requirements of the existing ordinance? Shouldn't BK be continuously fined until they comply like the rest of us? Why are we inventing new ways to try to assure compliance with city ordinances?

And what are the fines for chairs in the street?? When will the administration finally remove the snow before new snow makes it even harder?? And which aldermen have better snow removal? How and why? And, finally, why is Maria Curtatone's street clearer than mine? When will Somerville Patch create a forum to list poor street cleaning, and link that to Wards, to Aldermen, and to friends of DPW?

BK should be fined. Send the city's parking enforcers out to ensure that noncompliance is ticketed. It will give them something to do during the apparently indefinite time that the City is willing to wait before plowing the even sides of the streets and restoring parking in Somerville.

They should be fined. I boycott all businesses that don't clear their walkways. Yesterday The Patch reported that residents gave the city an A for snow removal. This is far from the truth. The Patch gets an F on that one.

Isn't this what ticketing is for. A call for boycotting is a bit much from the Alderman. Does she boycott everyone who doesn't shovel?

Let's hold back on paying our property taxes for the rotten job the city did with the storm!!!

What is wrong with boycotting? No business is entitled to customers. If a corporate citizen is a bad citizen, then human citizens have every right to shun it and spend their money elsewhere.

I feel that boycotting is fine, but it's inappropriate for a city official to ask people to boycott a business. I agree with the above poster. The city cannot legally require you to clear a city sidewalk. I clear the walk in front of my own house for my safety and that of my neighbors. Most businesses would clear their walk to insure that customers can easily access their store. If I thought I wouldn't be penalized in some way, I'd be glad to take the city to court and fight the notion that I can be required to clear something that is not my property.

This is definitely not the first trouble we in Ward 2 and Heuston in particular have had with this particular business - BK is also a big contributor to the rat infestation on surrounding streets that Heuston's been working hard to combat. Despite many fines and failed inspections, this particular BK's dumpsters still support a large rat population that is arguably more detrimental to residents than hazardous sidewalks, so I'm not surprised she's had it with them. The rats, the sidewalks, the constant trash blowing around, etc. is all adding up to them being a bad citizen. Calling for a boycott is simply alerting others to what we in the neighborhood already do.

OK. Let's also fine Home Depot because they didn't shovel either. Why haven't they been fined? The city could be making some money from their noncompliance. And Star Market on Beacon Street. Don't let them get away with making walking unsafe!

The city should be fining property owners with the same zeal it applies to fining car owners.

Just wondering if the city fines it self for not shoveling sidewalks near city property, for example the park at highland and grove street the highland street side not cleared and sidewalks near city parking lots like the one near Rite-Aid on highland.

The CITY should fine them for every day they don't shovel the SNOW. Safety comes first. Every city and town should do the same. They are very lax.

How do we know if any of these places are not getting fines? They do take a picture when they fine them. One person I kmow got fined and when she went to complain it was not her house in the picture. So they do have proof.

I see Boston fined Walgreens $2000 for not shoveling their sidewalks.

Walgreen's doesn't have delicious Whoppers.

um, will the board of aldermen call on the city of somerville to do a better job of clearing the public walkway alongside the city property on somerville avenue, just a stone's throw from this burger king? I know, it can take several days to properly clear these lots and haul the snow away, but in the meantime, it is a hazard for pedestrians and motorists alike...