Newton City Councilors will meet Jan. 17 to debate and possibly vote on a proposed summer leaf blower ban. Do you support the ban? Vote in our poll and share your views in the comments section.
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Do you support a summer leafblower ban in Newton?
by Greg Reibman | Jan 11, 2017 | Newton | 12 comments
I think the City Council has been pursuing the wrong strategy. They should be encouraging a shift away from gasoline powered blowers to electric blowers. A seasonal ban on gasoline powered blowers would be a good step in the right direction. A seasonal ban on ALL blowers will [by definition] only help during that “season.” A transition to electric blowers would help year round.
@Mike Striar: Excellent suggestion, and one that we are mindful of going into the last days of negotiations.
but mike, some of us are unable to work because of the noise and the debris coming in the windows. How will electric leaf blowers help?
Andreae– I think that gradually transitioning everyone [including professional landscapers] to electric blowers would substantially reduce noise, noticeably reduce airborne particulates, and provide all of us with a healthier environment year round. I also think that landscapers will be much more selective about the use of electric powered blowers during the warmer season, than they are with gasoline powered blowers.
With the vote about to be taken by the Alder Council on January 17, we support the summer ban on leaf blowers, as well as maintaining the 65 decibels limit and one operator per 10,000 sq feet.
Further postponement of the decision on this matter is truly a negative reflection on apparent inability of our city’s government to deal with a pressing environmental and health problem. What does it take to reach consensus?
Thank you for your attention to this vexing matter.
Harry Rosser
Jenny Rosser
58 Hancock Avenue
Newton Center, Ma
Mike, based on what evidence? From what we’ve heard thus far from the landscapers that post, lesser decibel machines are liable to have more landscapers use more machines and/or machine time per job.
I hope the council stands firm on a summer ban. I’m fine with electric during the other months. But gas during the fall/spring and electric during the summer isn’t a compromise. You know what is a compromise? What is being proposed. No outright ban for the entire year, no free use of any machine (because the city doesn’t enforce and the landscapers don’t follow the rules). Ban them when they are least used, sensible regulation when they are used.
I am completely in support of a ban. Period. I don’t want them in the summer, winter, spring or fall! However, that being said, where we are now with the proponents having given up so much over the last 3 years in hearings and attempts by the Leafblower advocates to defeat any kind of regulations in Newton – I support the 65 decibel limit, allowing only 1 leaf blower machine/employee per 10,000 sq feet of land, and restricted time period (essentially not until after 7 am and before dusk.
I deplore anyone’s using these machines to clean gutters, to blow snow as they are not intended for such use. Newton sidewalks must be cleared of ice and snow, snow packs down and leaf blowers will not do the job. I fired my company that tried to use blowers to clean our gutters.
@fig– This issue offers many compromises . Yet, it’s continued to be an issue for years. So I think an incremental solution is the best way to move forward. Banning all blowers in the summer will do nothing to solve the problem the rest of the year. It offers no incentive for anyone to switch to electric blowers. By allowing electric [but not gasoline] powered blowers in the summer, it encourages all those people who claim they need a leaf blower in the summer, to buy an electric one. Gradually, as more people switch to electric, the ban on gasoline powered blowers could be expanded. I think this is a fair, incremental solution to the problems posed by leaf blowers.
Mike, I’d agree with you if I thought leafblowers were necessary during the summer. But many communities have summer bans, and the landscapers adjust. Frankly it is the homeowners who hire those landscapers who need to adjust to slightly less perfect lawns, but regardless, leaf blowers during the summer are vastly overused in my opinion.
You are assuming that by having an electric leaf blower during the summer that will lead to more electric leaf blowers during the spring and fall. But landscapers aren’t going to give up the “best” tool they are permitted to use during the other seasons, and they have fought tooth and nail to water down this compromise already. How about we try a seasonal ban during the summer, electric during the spring, and full on gas during the fall?
Effectively, the landscapers just want access to leafblowers over 3 seasons. But I take them at their word that electric machines are less powerful. Wouldn’t that just lead to loud machines in the fall and spring, and slightly less loud machines used for longer in the summer?
Look, I’m a pragmatist. I use a leafblower as well. It is nice to blow grass clippings to make a “perfect” lawn. But if this is a compromise, both sides should be making a real move towards the center, and going from full gas to electric doesn’t seem to change much, doesn’t guarantee future change, and will be difficult to enforce.
For the record, judging by my neighbors, there are a lot of folks watching this vote. I can’t believe this is taking this long. No more delays. No false compromises that only benefit the landscaping companies. No more false concerns about elderly use of leafblowers. Just vote already, and hopefully make the right, pragmatic choice.
simple math w/ a real life example. I have a lot w/ ~170 ft of sidewalk (odd configuration) + decent sized circular driveway space. I will mow the lawn and have clippings. The only solution w/ a hard summer ban will be to use my push broom (probably won’t happen…) or run my mower over the same space several times to “blow” grass clippings to the edge. I’d like to think that there is a solution that represents home owners doing their own work vs. the black & white hard ban on any blowers in the summer. There are definitely shades of grey here – 10:00 to 3:00 timeframes, etc. to minimize the concerns about blowers from landscapers.
What a special place Newton is where people think a ban is a compromise. Talk about a bubble.
Elmo: It is a part time ban during 3 months. Sarcasm doesn’t add much to the discussion my fine stuffed animal friend.
Let me reiterate. Many folks want a full ban. Landscapers want the status quo, namely limited restrictions that are not enforced.
A part time ban during the least used months, with sensible reforms during the most active months makes sense to me. It is certainly a compromise from the full ban position.
So what would you suggest Elmo? Add to the conversation and pop our bubble my lovable red friend!
(sorry for the Elmo teasing, been watching to much of the Street lately)