Fairway declares snow emergency, Prairie Village asks residents to park in driveways

Euston Hardware in the Village Shops was doing a brisk business in rock salt Monday evening. Store employees said they'd sold at least a couple of tons.

The predicted eight to 12 inches of snow that could hit the area starting tonight have prompted officials in Fairway to issue a snow emergency.

The move, approved by Mayor Jerry Wiley, allows police to tow cars parked on the street in an effort to ensure snow plows have clear access to the roads.

The declaration prohibits any on-street parking within the city limits between the hours of 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1, and 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2. Any vehicles parked on public streets and roadways will be towed at the owner’s expense.

In Prairie Village, Public Works Director Bruce McNabb is asking residents to follow similar guidelines — though there’s no city statute mandating cars don’t park on the street.

“The last time around, we had a few cases where we had people parked on both sides of the street, and our plows weren’t able to get through,” McNabb said. “We ask that people who can park in a driveway do so.”

McNabb said Prairie Village crews had begun laying salt down last night. He predicted the city would be running 24 hour snow plowing crews through the end of the week to deal with the storm.

Fairway has also closed a number of city offices tomorrow:

Fairway City Hall and the administrative offices of the Fairway Police Department and Municipal Court will be closed from noon on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 until noon on Wednesday, February 2, 2011. Fairway Municipal Court, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, is also canceled. Those with scheduled court business that evening should come to the next regularly scheduled court date of February 16th. Non-emergency calls for police service should be made to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office dispatchers at 913-782-0720.

Prairie Village is asking residents who live in areas where trash is normally collected on Tuesdays to set their bins out tonight. Deffenbaugh may begin collecting trash early before the snow starts.