Brinkley Place neighbors clear snow after city plows missed their block

About 13 neighbors on Brinkley Place, a dead-end residential street in High Point, mobilized spontaneously on Sunday and cleared the road to bare pavement after snow and ice left the block impassable. Residents armed with shovels, leaf blowers, pickaxes and even a piece of vinyl siding worked in a chain reaction, some for up to eight hours, to reopen driveways and the street for neighbors who could not do the work themselves.

The group’s effort was driven by safety and access concerns. Joseph Robinson said he was “trying to help the neighbors out. I know a few of them have issues getting in and out and getting stuck.” Amy Davis described the situation as “awful,” noting that at least one household “haven’t gotten our mail in a week. We haven’t gotten our packages.” Davis added that “we had about 13 neighbors out here scraping. It wasn’t planned. We all didn’t get together. It was like a chain reaction,” and listed the improvised tool set: “Shovel, leaf blower, pickaxes … One lady was using a vinyl siding.”

Neighbors reported both physical strain and gratitude. Summer Shoemake said, “My hands for the most part are really what’s hurting me and my shoulder a little bit.” Kathy Zeinert summed up the neighborhood response: “I have the best neighbors. This means the world to me.” A resident who identified as disabled said she could not clear snow herself and that the neighbors’ work “means the world to me. I have the best neighbors ever.”

Local television coverage visually contrasted Brinkley Place with surrounding streets. FOX8 reporter John Roos noted that Brinkley Place was “cleared down to its bare [pavement] thanks to about 13 neighbors coming out to shovel for hours yesterday,” while nearby Rankin Place and other roads remained snow-covered.

City officials say the staggered response reflects High Point’s priority system for storm response. Caleb Friedenbach, City Street Maintenance Superintendent, said crews were “down to priority four roads on Monday, meaning residential roads will be getting cleared,” and urged residents to avoid parking on streets to help crews work more effectively. City material notes spell out the hierarchy: “Major routes, classified as heavily traveled streets such as E. Hartley, W. Fairfield, MLK, Eastchester and Westchester, are given highest priority during and immediately after a storm event. Additional attention and focus will be applied to the central business district and the hospital area.” The city adds that “once the major routes have been salted or plowed and are in passable condition, the residential collector streets will be the primary focus,” followed by “additional residential collectors” listed by name.

High Point also listed its operational capacity: three motor graders; 14 trucks with plows and spreaders; one truck with a spreader; and four brine trucks. The city maintains a stockpile of 800 tons of deicing salt and a capacity of 33,100 gallons of salt brine, and notes crews may work 12-hour shifts.

For Brinkley Place residents, the episode underscored two takeaways for future storms: neighbors can move quickly to restore access, but municipal limits and prioritization mean residential dead-ends often wait longer for plows. Friedenbach’s advice - avoid parking on streets and limit travel during inclement weather - remains the practical guidance as crews continue to work down residential routes.