Baltimore City, MD (WBFF) — Warmer weather may be here, but in one part of downtown Baltimore, a piece of winter is still hanging around.
At the Old Town Mall parking lot, city crews spent the day moving and spreading what remains of a massive snow pile — even as temperatures reach the 70s.
Back in January, the lot was one of the dumping grounds for all the snow cleared from city streets during a major winter storm. Now, it just looks like a dump. Up close, the mound barely resembles snow anymore. The pile is dark, packed with dirt, gravel, trash, and debris. From a distance, its size is even more striking at nearly 20 feet tall.
“This used to be double the height of what you see right now,” said local real estate developer Steve Tsamouras, “This thing is going to be here until June.”
Tsamouras, who claims he’s spent the last two decades working to redevelop the surrounding area, says the snow pile has only added to ongoing challenges.
“Look at this place, it looks like a war zone,” he said.
ALSO READ | The heat is on this week in Baltimore with a few shower chances
Beyond the appearance, Tsamouras says the snow may have caused additional problems. He claims several of his properties experienced water leaks in the days following the pile’s arrival.
“The weight of snow busted water mains underneath that could not be repaired unless you remove the snow,” he said, “They made one step forward and 20 steps back.”
As crews work to spread out the mountain of snow months later, helping it melt faster, Tsamouras questions if this was the most efficient and cost-effective way to handle the snow from the start.
“Why did we have to go through all this only to take it somewhere else? That’s double the cost!” he exclaims, “Who’s paying for it?”
In a statement, the Department of Public Works says the broken pipe beneath the pile was repaired last week. However, they do not yet have an estimate for the water loss. They also could not share a timeline for when the pile is expected to fully melt or be removed.
Local Story
