Mayor Setti Warren still has “serious concerns” about additional restrictions city councilors might impose on leafblower use in Newton and Jonthan Dame explains why and updates us on the proposed summer ban.
Mayor Warren has ‘serious concerns’ about proposed leaf blower rules
by Village 14 | Nov 28, 2016 | Mayor's office | 43 comments
I grew up in Gloucester, close to the Annisquam Lighthouse. When the fog rolls in off the ocean, you can hear the fog horns blow. Sometimes for days at a time, day and night. A fog horn can be as loud as 150 dB.
The fishing industry in Gloucester is now a fraction of what it was, but when I was a kid, the smell of fish wafting through the air on a hot summer day could be more than unpleasant. However, this is how many Gloucester families made their living and it wasn’t questioned. These are also the things that gave our town character.
I happen to LIKE the sound of the leaf blowers. As I work from my home office the hum of leaf blowers on a warm fall afternoon remind me that we live in a world full of leaves and grass and the sunshine – And maybe if I get my work done I can take my pup or a walk in the woods.
From my house in West Newton, when the wind blows from the south, I can distinctly hear the traffic from the MA pike, the train whistles, and smell what’s cooking at Blue Ribbon Barbeque.
I can’t help thinking that people who are bothered by leaf blowers are simply bothered people who need something to blame for their bothered-ness. I pray that god fills my life with an abundance of sounds and smells and colors. Because I suspect that when we’re gone, it will be sounds of a leaf blower and the smell of BBQ that we will yearn for.
@Mike: You will be relieved to note that if we do vote to restrict leaf blowers you will still be able to enjoy their harmonious whine for many hours most days all fall and spring.
It continues to amaze me that the law permits a homeowner to create noise pollution for her neighbors in pursuit of an artificial lawn aesthetic that is demonstrably environmentally unsound.
The sound of the neighbor’s lawn crew a blowin’ is my alarm clock to get out of bed, scampering out and raking my property’s leaves from the neighbor’s trees onto the proximity of the property line – such a pleasure for them to be so neighborly and blow my adopted leaves into the mulch area to the rear of their property.
This is how it is in caring neighborhood cultures, leaf blowers being a catalyst for friendlier neighbors. So as is appropriate, they will be rewarded in some way.
But this is how it is in community building, neighbors have unused space in the 96 gal trash carts, why not place trash from the city parks in them, – still waiting to see the details of the waste management contract…
There are many ways yet unexplored for the sustainable material program. A new occupier of the corner office will hopefully invigorate new understandings in the connectivity of community beyond the misanthrope of politics.
I guess I would not mind if the leaf blowers SUCKED up the leaves and removed them from the property. However, I have watched countless yard workers BLOWING leaves FROM the property on to the street (never mind if you are walking on the sidewalk – you just get dirt and leaves blown onto you). We use our leaf blower as a sucker upper and bag the leaves and put them out as yard waste. If more people did that including yard workers, then there would be a lot less blowing.
This leaf blower discussion isn’t my primary issue, but a few thoughts:
1) Some of the posters here (Joanne and JC for starters) have direct financial interests in making sure the rules for leaf blowers stay as is. They will make less money and potential have issues with customers due to less manicured lawns/yards. I don’t begrudge them their voice and their right to speak up. Anyone who runs a business with multiple employees that involves manual labor knows it is a difficult business. It was difficult when I was mowing lawns in my youth, it is surely difficult now, and I’m doubly sure that Newton has a demanding clientele.
2) Leaf blowers are loud. Really loud. To some, that noise that is a real reduction in their quality of life. I wake up most mornings to a soft drone of leaf blowers in the distance. 7 am sharp. Some mornings it is not a soft drone, it is a insistent buzz. When my kids were younger, leafblowers used to wake them from their naps on occasion. When I’m outside with my family on the weekend, I find leaf blowers to be very annoyingly loud when my neighbor is using them or a landscaping crew is using them close-by. If I worked at home, I’d be more than annoyed I’d think.
3) Leaf blowers are messy. To some, that mess is a real reduction in their quality of life. I certainly can’t keep my windows open in the summer because of it, as some of my family has dust/pollen allergies.
4) Leaf blowers are a useful tool. I own one. I use it twice a year to blow out my gutters, and blow my leaves into piles. If I owned a landscaping business, I’d want to use one so my crews could do more work in less time. I think they are most useful in the fall. Somewhat useful in the spring. Far less useful in the summer.
So where does that leave us? (pun intentional).
Landscapers are interested parties who will fight to keep a useful tool. Opponents aren’t nanny state folks for the most part, but folks concerned with a quality of life issue, be it noise or dust.
To me personally, as someone who isn’t intimately involved in this discussion, the proposed restrictions seem like a good compromise. The landscapers get their tool and not a total ban. The two most useful seasons for the tool are protected. There is a clawback on hours to be more resident friendly (why do you get to wake me at 7 am?) (Can’t one weekend day be protected?) I know folks who are upset that they will still suffer noise pollution and dust during those months. I’m sure the landscapers want to keep things as is, or to institute the rather silly Arlington compromise (which doesn’t restrict much of anything from what I understand from friends in Arlington and my read of the statute).
A good compromise is usually when both sides don’t get what they want.
A few notes:
1) I’m disappointed in Jim Cote. Not because of the delay, but because of the rather shady way he did it. This process has been going on for a long time I believe. Delaying the vote because (i) elderly might need to use a leaf blower and can’t use a rake, and (ii) landscaper might lay off their elderly employees. C’mon Jim. You could have found out those answers months ago, and both questions seem far more designed to justify a delay than to solve a real problem. After polling my elderly neighbors, mostly I got were chuckles. And most of the landscaping employees I see are young men. I always thought Jim Cote was a straight shooter type. He didn’t live up to that reputation this time around.
2) Mayor Warren’s serious concerns are also rather disappointing. It would be nice for the Mayor to take a stand here. What type of compromise would you like to see, Mayor? Lots of folks seem focused on the elderly impact to losing leafblowers, but is that a real issue or one invented to prevent this compromise from being voted on?
3) As for Lenny Gentile’s further compromise regarding additional decibels during the spring/fall, and allowing one leafblower per property in the summer, I’d personally be ok with the former, but I doubt the ability to enforce the latter. Which is probably the point.
4) Can we stop with the suggestions that anyone who disagrees with the landscapers needs to walk a mile in their shoes? I used to work landscaping when I was younger. Very tough job. I used every tool I could get. But I didn’t own a blower and I got by with a rake. This isn’t a bill of rights issue, there is no implied right of blowability in Massachusetts. Communities have the right to set regulations, some of which will be a burden on local businesses. I get that this is going to make many landscapers have to hire more manpower or change up crews, but you clearly do it in Brookline. Telling me in the comments that I need to rake 10 yards or work a day on a landscaping crew doesn’t convince me of your position, it just convinces me you are relying on an emotional argument.
5) For the folks who view this as a slippery slope, c’mon now. No one is taking away lawnmowers or snowblowers. This isn’t a nanny state issue for me. Snowblowers especially just are a silly argument, since the service a direct need, are used for a brief period of time after a snowstorm, and are used when few if any folks have windows open, etc.
So, in closing: Let’s get the compromise in the books. You want to tweak it along the edges? Fine. But I’m going to be mighty annoyed if I keep hearing leaf blowers all summer and at 7 am. And for the landscapers among us, thanks for commenting, and while I respect your hard work, fight fair. You could do far worse than the offer currently on the table, and the issue isn’t going away. Getting everything that you want isn’t a compromise, it’s a victory. That might be short lived in another election or two.
The Fig is back! (Hadn’t posted since July, I checked.)
@Fig: excellent comment. I’m not sure where you’ve been but please don’t go there again! Your city needs your clear thinking.
Well said, Fig. I support each of your points and agree that Brookline and other cities have provided a good roadmap for how to structure oversight. And good lord, if the city council is looking for reasons to be marked as ineffectual and slow to move, they’ve just painted a bullseye on themselves for the charter commission. Just take the vote already.
@Fig– Great post! Welcome back.
Dear Fig Arlington isnt a joke it works.And controlling the amount of machines used by sq feet of the property lessons the machines used.And one 65db machine for the last five minutes on the job in the summer is a no brainer for enforcement.We are willing to change our work habits to get the job done.We have always said that but instead of listening to 150 Landscapers who service 70 percent of the city the council listens to 130 people in Newton Centre and makes allowances and exceptions for golf courses and Big School s who pay no taxes or have a reduced tax rate.Can you spell discrimination? I say thank god for Jim Cote! I welcome any critic of how we use the blowers to join us for a day and see how easy a job it is,especially after the leaves are thoroughly soak ed after the rain.I guarantee, you will be kissing the exhaust pipe of the blower when you see how much labor it saves!
Welcome back, fignewtonville. And well said.
I would only add that having a City Councilor who will be voting on this issue acting as a neutral is a conflict of interest that exposes what a ridiculous idea it is.
150 landscapers who service 70% of the city? Do you mean that these 150 landscapers service 70% of the Newton properties that use landscaping services? Or that 70% of ALL Newton properties use a landscaping service? And what’s the source for that figure in either case? (P.S. As Fig mentioned, the “do our job for a day” is not persuasive.)
So glad to see you posting again Fignewtonville. I agree 100%.
Fignewtonville for mayor of Village 14!
tricia the figure comes from polling the landscapers that I am associated with and the invite to work with us for a day is because I doubt if any of you could do it for six days a week.I’ve only done it since I was 13 and soon I will be 67,so i think I know a little bit about the job and the clients we deal with as well as our laborers.
@ FIG- I don’t have a Financial Interest in Landscaping. I am a Medical Professional. Most of my relatives are Newton Based Landscapers but I personally do not gain any financial Interest from Landscaping. Why I am vocal about this is that I understand what this bill will do to their landscaping businesses.
And it is not fair that Newton City Councilors who support this bill – Allow Tax Exempt ( whether it is a 100% tax exempt Colleges or a 75% tax exempt For Profit Golf Courses) entities getting Leaf blower Exemptions and we the Taxpayer/homeowner are not allowed to use them.
IMHO- Newton Councilors who support this exemption for Colleges and Golf Courses are more concerned about Golfers Standards for their Pristine Courses than they are for the Newton Based Immigrant Landscapers who live, work and vote in Newton.
I totally agree with Joanne that the rules should apply to everyone.
@fig It appears disingenuous that you say this is not your issue and that you’re not intimately involved then hand us a multi point siloquy on the issue. I do work from home, I do keep my windows open, I don’t know any landscapers and have nothing to gain, and I don’t own a leaf blower. But they have not ever once occurred to me as being an annoyance. And I certainly don’t want to live in a city that micro-manages, regulates and limits everybody’s whims and annoyances. What if you enjoyed barbeque every night and I was your vegetarian neighbor? You’re nightly BBQs would impact my quality of life. Should BBQs then be regulated?
Seeing that they don’t bother me, their absence also won’t bother me, however I am bothered that as a city, Newton seems to be heavy handed on restricting the rights of all residents to protect someone’s ‘quality of life.’
Regulations don’t make Newton less dense. If leaf blowers interrupt your sleep, make you sneeze and wake your kids, it sounds like a more rural setting would better suit your lifestyle.
Mike Ciolino: Welcome to the blog. When I post here, I tend to post in “multi point” posts. It is kinda my thing. Mostly I posted after a long absence because of the delay in the vote. I found it hypocritical, and thought it worthy of comment. And issues regarding the interplay of individual rights vs. community rights interest me. I’m also interested in affordable housing, zoning, building over the Pike, elementary schools (especially Cabot), our park system, the designated hitter, and the downfall of western civilization as we know it. Nice to meet you.
It is fine that you don’t seem to mind leaf blowers. But you are using an incomplete argument. Clearly cities and states have a right to protect quality of life issues. That is why there are laws on lots of different things that I’m sure you DO care about, Mike. We just haven’t hit on something that is your issue. Do you care about your car? There are regulations on parking. The overnight restrictions are a regulation, street meters are a regulation. Bikes have regulations. Restaurants have health codes they need to follow. Surely you like those. And regulations to deal with density are part and parcel of a city environment. We aren’t allowed to smoke in certain public places. There are noise ordinances that prohibit late night parties, gatherings that are too large need a permit for safety, etc. etc. Surely some of these regulations you like. Some of them I find heavy handed. But communities get choices on how to interact as a community, and the interplay is what city counsel is trying to work around. We tend to do it in a disfunctional way in Newton.
I can’t make Newton less dense. But I don’t want to. I just would like common sense compromise on when loud noises can appear next to my house. Perhaps your house isn’t affected, or your family isn’t affected, or you are such a strong believer in the rights of the individual that you want to preserve the rights of the landscapers. All fine and good. But the solution to every issue shouldn’t be, “you don’t like the status quo, move away to somewhere else”. That seems silly, since other communities like Brookline, even more dense, have enacted sensible solutions for leaf blowers. Democracy allows me to advocate for my position, and elect folks with a similar mind set. That’s where we are at Mike. If you don’t like that, perhaps a change of venue is in order for you? 😉
And do you know any vegetarians who object to the smell of BBQ? Mostly they seem to want hockey puck veggie burgers. And Portabella mushroom caps. Seems like a straw man argument to me. I’m not trying to micro manage every last whim or annoyance. This is an issue for many communities, and communities with competent representation can easily separate the major issues from the micro-management issues. (most of the time). Minimizing an issue doesn’t make it go away, and there are plenty of people around Newton who have asked for some sort of restriction due to quality of life issues. And it goes without saying we aren’t going to agree on each issue the counsel decides to pick up. Lord knows I miss my plastic bags. That wasn’t my issue either, but I seem to be in the minority on that one….
More to follow on some of the other responses in a bit.
Joanne: My point still holds. You are an interested party in my view when most of your relatives are newton based landscapers. I don’t have an issue with that, I just point out that you or your family directly benefit from the outcome of the legislation. I still welcome your comments. We all come at things with a certain viewpoint.
I really don’t see the issue with the split between very large properties like golf course and colleges and smaller homeowners. I’m just not personally offended by it, and you and JC seem to think I should be. I don’t golf, and I didn’t attend any of the local schools (college or private). I’ve got no reason to support them here, I just see the logic of different rules for different classes of property. If they said that properties over an acre were exempted, thus giving some very wealthy Newtonites a break, I might object more. But we make all sorts of allowances for the larger institutions in town without complaint. Parking, zoning, easements, use of land, student residences, PILOT payments, etc., etc. I’m far more annoyed about BC football parking traffic than anything they do in the landscaping department.
You mentioned that “IMHO- Newton Councilors who support this exemption for Colleges and Golf Courses are more concerned about Golfers Standards for their Pristine Courses than they are for the Newton Based Immigrant Landscapers who live, work and vote in Newton.” That seems rather unfair to me. You are trying I think to make an insinuation that the purpose of that exemption is the elitist attitudes of our city leadership. I disagree with them all the time, but I don’t usually hear that complaint about them. To me your objection seems like sour grapes stemming from the fact that the city councilors are peeling off a natural ally from opposing the legislation, and you are objecting to that. I don’t think many of our city councilors golf actually. I also don’t think it is a persuasive argument personally, but Mike S. seems to disagree, so perhaps I’m wrong.
I’m also curious. You mention Newton Based Immigrant Landscapers that live, work, and vote in Newton. I’m curious, how many landscapers are actually based in Newton? No snark on my part, I’d really like to know. Do you think that those landscapers will go out of business due to this legislation? I ask that honestly. Because I’m pretty sure folks have mentioned that there are multiple landscapers who will agree to not use blowers for a similar cost. Those landscapers seem to have adjusted.
Now, you could very well be saying that the price point for landscaping is largely fixed, that you can get roughly $100 for a large yard no matter how it is done (my number is pulled out of thin air as a point of reference), so if your job is made harder you’ll have to work harder for the same amount of money. But on the other hand JC and others have referenced that landscapers will charge more, which seems to contradict that position.
Joanne and JC: I ask you both, what sensible regulation would you accept? Do you feel that you should have to at all? Or is this all just Micro management and nanny state BS like Mike C. says? Should you be able to leaf blow at 7 am for instance?
My personal take as an outsider to this debate is that one side started with a complete ban and the other side started with no change to the status quo. Feels like to me that the basis of the compromise is there. Common sense times to permit leaf blowers. Common sense restrictions on times of use. Push to using less noisy and pollution causing engines. No one gets everything they want. Makes sense to me. I hope the counsel doesn’t make the perfect the enemy of the good and votes to approve.
Ok, I’m done. My multi-point posts are finished for the night. Unless Greg wants to post something on Austin Street of course. Force of habit will cause me to take the bait on that one. Or the Walnut Street redo. Or cabot. Or Cabot park.
I am not in favor of the exemptions for the city and other large property owners (e.g., colleges, golf courses, etc.). But I do want a meaningful seasonal restriction to pass, and the cost for getting enough votes to do that may be accepting a compromise on exemptions.
My thinking on all of this has evolved over the last ten years that I have been involved with the issue, and my goals have evolved too. My main goal at this point is to reduce the number of complaints about leaf blowers as close to zero as possible. Several crews were out in my neighborhood at 7AM the other morning, and it was pretty loud for about 45 minutes even with the windows open. But it was nothing like in the summer when all the windows in my house are open and I am often outside on the patio at 7AM drinking coffee and trying to enjoy the warm weather. The rationale for allowing the city to operate them in village centers and for large property owners to be exempt is that, as long as they are not operated close to residential neighbors, there will be less of an adverse impact than a crew working next door just a few feet from one’s house and yard.
So, as imperfect as the compromise that the City Council has before it may be, I think having a respite from Memorial Day to Labor Day (which is even shorter than Brookline’s seasonal ban) will dramatically reduce the number of complaints from people who actually are annoyed or adversely affected because they work at home.
To extend the BBQ metaphor, it’s time to stick a fork in this one. It’s done. The City Council should vote on it and pass something so that people can enjoy their back yards a little more this coming summer.
I meant to say even with the windows “closed.” More coffee needed here.
Fig said – “I’m curious, how many landscapers are actually based in Newton? No snark on my part, I’d really like to know. Do you think that those landscapers will go out of business due to this legislation? I ask that honestly. Because I’m pretty sure folks have mentioned that there are multiple landscapers who will agree to not use blowers for a similar cost. Those landscapers seem to have adjusted.”
Fig – I appreciate your question – there are about 150 landscapers that live in Newton. I am sure you have seen the names of many of them on the landscaping trucks in the neighborhood – Nicolazzo, Caruso, Arcuri, Bonadio, Butera, Coscione, Leone,Ieraci, Jepsen, Mastrioanni, Mariano, Mercuri, Paola, Pellegrine, Torcasio,Sauro,Yeradi, just to name a few. And if you want confirmation – go to the City of Newton Assessors Website – put those names in and see how many live in Newton. And yes some of them will go out of business or will cease doing business in Newton. And as for the multiple landscapers that will pop up to do the work-for a similar or lesser cost – many of them are uninsured, many will take cash for a discount as to not have to pay taxes on it etc. And this in fact happened as my niece who is an attorney called one of the Landscapers Supported and listed by Newton Safe and Sound Website and this person was NOT registered in the state, did not have business insurance and told her that if she paid in cash so he would not have to report it to the IRS he would give her a discount. And many on this blog might say – OK so what – we will pay less – EXCEPT the day that the worker of the uninsured landscaper gets injured on your property and it will come back on your home insurance. So try calling some of these landscapers who will clean without a leaf blower and ask for proof of insurance it will be a eye opening experience.
And this is what happens when you have Councilors that have NO knowledge of a business trying to Ban things that will affect those business. Except of course the Golf Courses – makes you wonder why the Golf Courses and Colleges had to hire an attorney to lobby the Newton Councilors if this was not a major issue for them and important tool of the trade. I thought we did not have leaves in the summer- so why do they need a Leaf Blower???
THM said ” I am not in favor of the exemptions for the city and other large property owners (e.g., colleges, golf courses, etc.). But I do want a meaningful seasonal restriction to pass, and the cost for getting enough votes to do that may be accepting a compromise on exemptions.”
The only reason for this compromise is because the Attorney for the Tax Exempt Golf Courses and Colleges has lobbied the Newton City Councilors for this exemption. I stand by my statement that Councilors who support this bill are more concerned about Golfers Standards than Immigrants Lives! If not they would NOT exempt anyone. If it truly was a Health issue or a noise issue than it should be a full BAN. And if there are NO leaves in the summer than why does the City need this exemption too??
@Joanne: I don’t know this for a fact, but I think it’s reasonable to presume that many immigrants are also employed to maintain our golf courses and colleges. Just sayin’
This discussion went off the rails early on. Anyone against these new restrictions misrepresenting the draft ordinance or presenting scenarios with no basis has no baring. It’s clear these residents want no restrictions, even those we have now, and are not willing to compromise in anyway.
The latest draft being considered by the full council begins with the stipulation that leaf blowers can only be used from Labor Day to Memorial Day, that includes fall and spring when most leaves are on the ground, wet or not.
That means NO leaf blower use during the SUMMER when landscapers use mostly mowers anyway. No all day raking.
This draft allows the use of leaf blowers during the fall, winter and spring just limits the hours of operations to:
Weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Sundays, only for
homeowners themselves, between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
lots of more than 30 acres, between 9:30 a.m. and 12 p.m.
These times are not much different from what exists now and certainly won’t require laying anyone off. Basically it only eliminates leaf blower use by landscaping companies on Sundays except for 30 acre golf courses and schools where they can still work.
Those who want the law to stay the same and are arguing against the Sunday morning use of leaf blowers at golf courses shows how convoluted these discussions have become. More time allowed for landscaper’s use of leaf blowers is in your favor. Removing it would be removing business.
As for the councilors kowtowing to these entities over homeowners, many councilors have not been receptive to giving exemptions for golf courses and colleges. The latest draft being considered by the full council, even eliminated a provision for allowing the mayor discretion to grant exemptions on a case by case basis.
For those who argue for 77db leaf blowers – there is currently a 65db limit. The new legislation would only add having a manufacturer’s label stating the leaf blower your are using is legal, making enforcement easier.
Marti Bowen – The Golf Courses will be given an Exemption for the Summer – It is NOT just for Sunday Mornings. Maybe you could speak to the Councilors who were lobbied by the Attorney for the Golf Courses – They will tell you that they will not just be using them on Sundays! They are able to get an Exemption from the Mayor and they will be using them everyday of the summer.
And Greg – I always get a good Laugh out of your comments – We need to make sure we keep up the “Golfers Standards”! Wouldn’t want those Non Profit Golf Courses going out of Business. And I wonder if they employ legal immigrants to do their maintenance and how many live in Newton? I am sure you can ask the Attorney who lobbied the Newton City Councilors for the Golf Courses Leaf Ban Exemption to find out that information so you can let us all know!
Joanne, perhaps you should read the current draft. It doesn’t say what you think it does. http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/79150
Again, if the 30 acre golf courses were exempt from the summer, which they are not, then they would provide work for the landscaping crews. That’s would be in your favor. Your arguing against landscaping companies having work to do.
The amendment for the mayor’s exemptions failed. Read the draft proposal.
Could someone please explain to me why leaf blowers are needed during the summer? This is a serious question – I really don’t understand. Once my lawn is mowed, I don’t see any need for anything further – what am I missing?
@MGWA: I will leave it to others to justify, or not, the use of leafblowers on residential properties in the summer. But I can tell you that a number of businesses use them year round for tasks other than leaves. For example, cleaning up areas around dumpsters that might otherwise attract vermin, removing cigarette butts and other trash from in front of doorways and sidewalks. Cleaning parking lots, etc. Also, trees do shed pollen, pods.etc in the summer.
Some of these businesses abutt residents of course. But many others (for example along most of Needham Street, Wells Ave. the Route 9 malls, stretches of Washington Street and other commercial zones) don’t.
mgwa: I think it is matter of cleaning up grass clippings. Not sure. I don’t remove mine from the garage until the fall. But I’m not a professional landscaper, and my lawn isn’t as nice as it could be I guess.
Joanne: Do you think it is unfair that the golf courses/colleges hired an attorney to make their points? The landscapers had dozens of representatives at the meetings. I’ve never thought legal representation in Newton made all that much difference on matters like this, they do make some differences in zoning or permitting but I don’t see the value here as much. Perhaps I’m being naive. But considering the compromise on the table, do you really feel that landscaper voices weren’t heard? Pretty sure Jim Cote heard your voices, as did the mayor and Scott Lennon. Do the aldercritters who post on this blog feel like ordinary folks like us are at a disadvantage due to larger players having lawyers? Any contentious discussion seems to devolve into a insinuation that our elective representatives are offering an unfair advantage to the other side, either due to donations or evil lawyers or future job prospects. I’m not naive, but I’d think that if anyone has that type of power here it would be the 150 landscaping businesses.
Do folks have an idea of which aldercritters are opposing the compromise?
This is my plea to have a summer ban on leaf blowers. I am writing from the point of view as a runner, someone who spends a lot of time outdoors. I have trained for and run 11 Boston Marathons, so in that time I have had ample opportunity for observation.
During the summer, they are used on dirt, debris and whatever happens to be on peoples’ driveways and sidewalks. This debris isn’t even cleaned up, it is merely rearranged and blown elsewhere. I can’t tell you how many times I see leaf blowing personnel blowing dirt and debris from one person’s driveway and sidewalk onto the neighbor’s property, or onto the street. Many times running West on Comm Ave, I’ll observe a landscaping company using leaf blowers to blow stuff from their customer’s property onto the neighbor’s adjacent property in order to leave their customer’s property pristine. And – on my way back, running East, I will then see that adjacent neighbor, with a different landscaper, blowing the dirt and debris either back onto the original property where it came from, out into the street, or onto the property on the other side. Nothing is being cleaned, stuff is just being blown all over the place. And many times onto me, as well.
Leaf blowers are really loud and I believe many are probably over the decibel level allowed. However, I know realistically that this is not going to be a high priority for our police officers, and therefore it is an un- enforced law. At least if there is a seasonal ban, we can have a period of time without that constant noise.
Last, it is disingenuous for landscapers to claim the prices are going to rise if they have to rake. When my old landscaper started using leaf blowers, my bill did not go down with this purported time savings. After learning more about the health risks of leafblowers and just not liking the noise, I have since switched to a gardener who rakes only, and the cost is the same.
Thank you for reading this, I would just like to have a few months to enjoy being outside.
What I’ve seen agrees with what Rachel reports, which is why I asked about why they’re even needed in summer. And as someone with allergies and breathing problems, I too have trouble walking outside when the blowers are in full swing. I understand their need in the fall – I’d even be willing to forego the decibel and time limits if they were only used in the seasons when they’re truly needed.
@Greg – thank you for the information. I was asking about the use for residential (sorry I didn’t make it clear), since that’s most of those who would be affected by the ban.
@mgwa: Yes residents will be most affected but I like to think that our businesses matter too and I wanted to remind everyone reading this that this will be a real consequence, perhaps unintended but still real, of a summer ban.
The 65 decibel noise limit is apparently hard to enforce because the Newton police does not own enough noise meters. How did Brookline enforce that limit? Were citizens more prone to obtain satisfaction from the police? Should we flood our police with calls until they enforce the existing noise limit??
If Brookline could do it, why can’t we? can we borrow their noise meters for a while?
The best solution for this issue is an incremental one. The proposal that’s originated from the City Council is flawed. Decibel restrictions unnecessarily complicate the issue. The objective should be over time to get everyone using electric blowers.
The first step toward solving the problem should be a summer ban on gasoline powered blowers only. Gasoline powered blowers are the worst offenders, and not really necessary for any work that’s done in the summer. Banning only gasoline powered blowers would still allow institutions, golf courses, professional landscapers and homeowners the ability to use quieter, electric powered blowers in the summer. This would result in a major reduction of summertime noise throughout the city. It would also require everyone who feels they can’t live without a leaf blower in the summer, to purchase the less offending electric blowers.
Once everyone has electric blowers, the seasonal ban on gasoline powered blowers could be expanded to a comfortable point.
@Greg – I didn’t mean to imply that businesses don’t matter. However, if businesses are using them mostly for cleaning areas around dumpsters and trash around doorways, I don’t want them just blowing that crap into the street or in front of another building. That’s stuff that should be removed (picked up or vacuumed), not just relocated.
And @mgwa I’m confident that’s what happens far more often than not.
So what happened in Brookline with the new rules there? Are seniors suffering because landscapers can no longer use full decible blowers? Did lawn bills skyrocket? Immigrant workers laid off? Serious question.
Brookline’s rules aren’t new. They’ve had a seasonal ban for 4 years. Some folks were pushing for a full ban, some for a switch for all seasons to electric. Neither passed. But as far as I know, costs didn’t skyrocket with a seasonal ban. Folks do seem to complain about non-compliance. Noise from my limited experience goes down during the summer. They have exceptions for 5 acre properties, which is basically the large colleges/golf courses.
You can verify my facts by doing a simple google search. That’s all I did, plus I asked my friends in Brookline. They are seemed ok with the seasonal ban, but they are friends with me so take that with a grain of salt of course. As for the seniors suffering, I doubt that would be in a news article or discussion, since I doubt its veracity as a real issue since I so rarely see said elderly hoisting leaf blowers all summer in Newton. Sample size equal to extremely small doesn’t qualify as an issue we should use to determine regulations for the whole city, otherwise my desire to have donuts and deli food on each streetcorner would have passed long ago (my vaulted D&D streetscape improvement plan got NO traction at the last planning meeting). I blame thin people.
@fig, Nice to meet ou as well. I poke in and out of village14 from time to time. It’s a guilty pleasure that I try to keep in moderation – As I can lose precious hours or entire weekends writing and responding to posts.
So, do you remember the feeling of absolute disbelief that many people had the morning after Trump was elected? … So many people thought Trump was unelectable and assumed that every other sane American shared that opinion. The fact that they were so wildly out of step with their countrymen and women was deeply unsettling.
That’s how I feel about this issue. I cannot possibly fathom how people can be bothered enough by leafblowers deserving of all this hoopla. In my head, I think that I must live in the Land of Precious where folks have way too much time on their hands.
But who am I to judge what people perceive – And in the spirit of Trump’s win maybe I’m the village 14 idiot.
Anyhow, For fun I looked up the dB levels of common sounds. Please, please, I’ll give you leafblowers if you leave Red Sox games alone.
40 babbling brook
50 light traffic
60 conversational speech
70 shower
75 vacuum cleaner
80 garbage disposal
85 snow blower
90 lawnmower
95 food processor
100 motorcycle
105 sporting event
110 jackhammer
115 emergency vehicle siren
120 thunderclap
125 balloon popping
130 peak stadium crowd noise
135 air raid siren
140 jet engine at takeoff
145 firecracker
150 fighter jet launch
155 cap gun
160 shotgun
165 .357 magnum revolver
170 safety airbag
175 howitzer cannon
@Mike Ciolino– I’ve read all of your comments on this thread. You really don’t understand how offensive and annoying gasoline powered leaf blowers are to many people. I’m the last person on this blog to support any kind of ban. I’ve been critical of every ban that’s been passed by the city in recent years. But if this were entirely my choice, I would ban all gasoline powered blowers tomorrow. Because it crosses a clear line when one person’s activity diminishes the quality of life for others. And that’s exactly the case with gasoline powered blowers…
But I do agree with the point you’re trying to make about using decibel readings as an enforcement tool. The Council members responsible for drafting the proposed ordinance clearly don’t understand the nature of sound, or the practical implications of including decibel levels in any ordinance.
@Mike Striar, I absolutely agree with you, I don’t understand how offensive and annoying gasoline powered leaf blowers are to many people.