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The Bronxville Board of Trustees approved the purchase of a 2007 Snow Dragon snow melter from the City of Yonkers for $85,000. The machine was bought to help alleviate the problem of storing excess snow in a small community.
Yonkers initially listed the snow melter for auction on eBay with a reserve of $75,000. After Bronxville Public Works Superintendent Rocco Circosta saw the item, he contacted Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and asked that it be removed from auction.
"I've put in requests to buy a snow melter for the past few years, but it wasn't able to go through because of our tight budget," Circosta said. "Storing and relocating snow in our small community is a problem, and it's something I've been trying to find a creative solution for. The acquisition of this equipment isn't a total solution, but it will certainly help by lessening the amount of snow we have to move."
The snow melter is 6 years old but has only 51 hours of operation on it. It has the capacity to melt 30 tons of snow per hour, which equates to 100 to 300 cubic yards per hour. The machine is 27 feet long by 8.4 feet wide, and is mounted on a tri-axle trailer that can be towed from one site to another.
Bronxville made the purchase because it was a low-risk, high-reward situation, said Village Administrator Harry Porr.
"The cost of a new snow melter is around $250,000, so getting it at this price was a good deal for us," Porr said. "Further, we've been informed that the scrap value for the equipment is $75,000, which only leaves us with a small loss if it breaks or we don’t have a need for it anymore. The technology is amazing. I’ve watched videos on it, but now I can’t wait to see it in person.”
The machine melts snow internally, and then the water is released into the storm drainage system, Circosta said.
“We checked out the snow melter and everything checked out in great shape,” he said. “When we have those big storms, we'll now be able to go to the middle of the business district and melt as much snow as possible. This way there will be more room for parking and driving. It will make our lives easier, but like I said before, it won't fix the problem.”
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