Noise-Free Summer?

http://villagegreennj.com/towns/maplewood-discusses-banning-commercial-leaf-blowers-june-august/

YES!  YES!  YES!

ONE THOUSAND TIMES YES!!!!!

Sadly, as a South Orange resident I would only benefit when I was in MW but this would be a wonderful beginning.  

Agreed. A wonderful beginning, which would suit both towns.

It will only be a wonderful beginning if it works:  cooperation from registered landscapers and workable enforcement plan in place.  Can all that really be accomplished by the start of this summer?

instead of banning leaf blowers wholesale, why not only allow them during certain specific time periods, i.e. the fall and early Spring, when leaves need to be blown.

Robert_Casotto said:

instead of banning leaf blowers wholesale, why not only allow them during certain specific time periods, i.e. the fall and early Spring, when leaves need to be blown.

The proposed ban would apply only in June, July and August.

Robert_Casotto said:

instead of banning leaf blowers wholesale, why not only allow them during certain specific time periods, i.e. the fall and early Spring, when leaves need to be blown.

That actually is the proposal.  The prohibition would only be from June through August.  Spring and Fall leafblowing would still be permitted.

The current plan is to only ban them during the summer when, according to testimony given at last evening's TC meeting, leaf blowers are only used to clear grass from the sidewalks.  It would be a pilot project and thought would be given to expanding it only if it proved successful.

Jinx.

joan_crystal said:

The current plan is to only ban them during the summer when, according to testimony given at last evening's TC meeting, leaf blowers are only used to clear grass from the sidewalks.  It would be a pilot project and thought would be given to expanding it only if it proved successful.

It's a ban.  How could it not be "successful"?

But it only applies to commercial lawn/landscaping businesses. From my experience, they are there and gone in minutes. It's the residents who use their leaf blowers for hours at a time...

joan_crystal said:

It will only be a wonderful beginning if it works:  cooperation from registered landscapers and workable enforcement plan in place.  Can all that really be accomplished by the start of this summer?

Yes, realizing that the 'leafblower issue' has been debated at length on these forums, I think any step toward improved quality of life around noise and air pollution in our towns is a movement in the right direction. And full disclosure here, I have a small yard and do the maintenance myself, so I think those with large properties might still want to be able to use their own less-polluting machines and that's fair for now.

This discussion reminds me somewhat of the smoking ban implemented years ago in public places, and how I was sure it would never work, particularly in bars, and thought maybe it was overstepping on the part of the government. Turns out I was very wrong. Restaurants, bars and public spaces in general are now a different world from what I grew up with in the 70s and 80s. As children we had to travel in planes, trains and automobiles in clouds of toxic smoke, which would be unthinkable now. I believe the lawn companies will have to find a way to deal with this inevitable progress gradually, just like the paint companies had to change their policies around lead-paint removal. There are more of us now and we have less space between. It's inevitable that we raise the bar on how we regard this space if there is to be progress. Just my $0.02.

marylago said:

But it only applies to commercial lawn/landscaping businesses. From my experience, they are there and gone in minutes. It's the residents who use their leaf blowers for hours at a time...

Landscapers were always the biggest offenders of blowing 3 leaves across a yard in mid-July. At least in my neighborhood.

marylago said:

But it only applies to commercial lawn/landscaping businesses. From my experience, they are there and gone in minutes. It's the residents who use their leaf blowers for hours at a time...

It's the commercial ones that make the huge noise.  And, while it is true that they are there and gone in minutes, the next one shows up a little later and then the next and the next.  And so it goes ... all day long!

Of course, if passed, it likely means landscaping companies will be forced to reduce staff during these months...

??? If they have to use slower equipment, then the landscaping companies actually either need to increase staff to complete the same amount of work, or they need to have the foremen do more of the work themselves, or they need to drop some clients.

I always worry about the people doing lawn work.  Some have ear protection and masks for their mouths.  Most, however, are ingesting the dust, dried feces, fuel, etc. that they are blowing around.  They also suffer hearing loss.  It would be nice to have some legislation protecting the workers.  

I spoke with one man who said he would prefer to rake because he believes it is better for him and for others, but his company does not allow it.  He buys his own headphones and I suspect that is true for many others.

cuethesun said:

Of course, if passed, it likely means landscaping companies will be forced to reduce staff during these months...

It takes at least as long to rake a lawn as it does to give it a blow job.

Those commercial ride-on mowers are not exactly quiet either. There was one time that my neighbor's landscaper came during a veritable dust bowl right after we had our house painted, and I was watching clouds of dust billow over toward the wet paint. Really, there was no grass to cut in that dryness, but they come like clockwork and make a (noisy) show of it regardless.

DaveSchmidt said:

Robert_Casotto said:

instead of banning leaf blowers wholesale, why not only allow them during certain specific time periods, i.e. the fall and early Spring, when leaves need to be blown.

The proposed ban would apply only in June, July and August.

nice to see they've listened to reason.

Today Leafblowers! Tomorrow, cosmetic toxic pesticides!!! Yes! Yes! Thank you Maplewood! Thank you for making not just Maplewood, but the entire State a better place to live by your example.

Fantastic. If you support this move to prohibit leaf blowers for June, July, August highly suggest you show up to the township meeting on May 17  at 7:30 - 9:00 pm. The town is inviting the landscaping companies (the ones registered with the town) to the meeting to plead their case. 

Also, if you think it should include homeowners too.....suggest you share that with the township committee. 

joan_crystal said:

The current plan is to only ban them during the summer when, according to testimony given at last evening's TC meeting, leaf blowers are only used to clear grass from the sidewalks.  

Landscapers in this area use leaf blowers in the summer primarily to propel vegetative and trash detritus FROM a client's property/curb   ELSEWHERE (  to the curb/property of homes adjoining, or facing, the client's property).  Some of Maplewood's most popular landscapers instead use storm sewer inlets for disposal.

Grass on sidewalks is an issue only because of Maplewood landscapers' fascination with string trimmers. And their clients' obsession with 'to the mm' edging.

EBennett said:

I always worry about the people doing lawn work.  Some have ear protection and masks for their mouths.  Most, however, are ingesting the dust, dried feces, fuel, etc. that they are blowing around.  They also suffer hearing loss.  It would be nice to have some legislation protecting the workers.  

Such legislation already exists in the O.S.H.A. regulations. O.S.H.A. inspectors would have about $10k in fines to write up if they would drive around and tend to this problem. Employees in any business must have ear protection if the decibel rate is 90 db. or higher.

So how does the average employer know if the sound is at that level? Buy or rent a meter. But there is an even easier way to know if hearing protection is required... If you need to raise your voice to be heard above the noise or if noise makes if difficult to hear someone who is talking to you, hearing protection is required.

dickf3 said:

joan_crystal said:

The current plan is to only ban them during the summer when, according to testimony given at last evening's TC meeting, leaf blowers are only used to clear grass from the sidewalks.  

Landscapers in this area use leaf blowers in the summer primarily to propel vegetative and trash detritus FROM a client's property/curb   ELSEWHERE (  to the curb/property of homes adjoining, or facing, the client's property).  Some of Maplewood's most popular landscapers instead use storm sewer inlets for disposal.

Grass on sidewalks is an issue only because of Maplewood landscapers' fascination with string trimmers. And their clients' obsession with 'to the mm' edging.

I never "got" edging. I like the grass to hang over the sidewalk just a little. Make the transition from the yard to the walk a little less abrupt. 

Klinker said:

cuethesun said:

Of course, if passed, it likely means landscaping companies will be forced to reduce staff during these months...

It takes at least as long to rake a lawn as it does to give it a blow job.

I think you need a good hard look as  to whos  doing the blowing ?

I wish I was home all day to enjoy it,  

Woot said:

I wish I was home all day to enjoy it,  

Not if the noise wakes the baby every other day,  interrupts your international conference calls on a regular basis, or wakes you after working night shift.

I don't think there are too many people sipping lemonade and twiddling their thumbs all day.

while the populist strain against those who have the wherewithal to farm out their landscaping is evidently ripening, how about going after the DIYers who blow their gas-powered mowers every Saturday or Sunday morning?