Snow joke for Long Island landlords

It's been anything but a winter wonderland for Long Island's commercial landlords and property managers.

Wachtler has another tip to keep his buildings clean and open on time: Keep your plow guys close by.But if you do have a clean lot in the midst of bad weather, it could mean the difference in trying to land a new tenant.Nearly 5 feet of snow - more than three times the norm - has fallen on the area from seven separate storms, creating a nightmare for the people responsible for getting buildings open, accessible and ready for business. With costs for repeated plowing, shoveling, salting and sanding piling up, the season's already been expensive, and there's still almost two months of winter to get through.For retailers and tenants in shopping centers, snow removal is added onto their common area maintenance charges, so tenants and not landlords bear the cost.Most commercial properties are plowed by landscapers who also maintain the outside areas of office buildings and shopping centers when they're not covered in snow. Some snow removal contractors charge by the inch, up to a certain number is included in the annual agreements and if more white falls beyond that, it means more green for the plowmen."If you're a snow contractor you're making money," Dorsi said."Normally we're busy before the season getting the equipment ready and by Christmas it slows down," Weslowski said. "This year it hasn't slowed down at all. We've been digging people out left and right.""We have to try to give tenants a safe environment," Dorsi said, "no matter what the weather brings.""When I'm giving tours now I show them the parking lot," Wachtler said. "Then they can see what kind of service they can expect here.""We let our guys park their trucks in our lots," he said. "That way, they plow us first."Dorsi said commercial landowners and managers can expect to pay about $20,000 for a seasonal snow removal contract, which could clear up to about 30 inches of snow. Anything more than that could cost from $3,000 to $4,000 for every 10 inches that comes down. Of course, salt and sand are also extra expenses.That effort has been monumental this winter, with most property managers spending a lot more money than they had planned. Phil Wachtler of Farmingdale-based Wachtler Knopf Equities said his management firm takes care of 11 buildings in Nassau and Suffolk counties, representing about 800,000 square feet of office space, and for him, the harsh season's been costly.Bob Weslowski, owner of RBR/Melville Snow Removal, can attest to that. Weslowski said this is the busiest winter ever for his Islandia-based company."We blew through our snow budget in January," Wachtler said, although he declined to state the amount of that budget.RBR, which doesn't usually sell snow blowers, sold 150 in a couple of weeks, and is waiting for another shipment. They've also sold more plows this winter than ever before. The company has contracted nearly 200 trucks and has about 75 shovelers to service its clients from New York City to the East End. Weslowski said the largest plows can cost $350 per hour, if you can find one to clear your lot.

"We let our guys park their trucks in our lots," he said. "That way, they plow us first."