Thursday, July 05, 2007

CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL TO TAKE UP ISSUE OF LEAF BLOWERS

Earlier this year I wrote to the Conservation Advisory Council urging the council to consider a leaf blower ban. Scarsdale and Yonekrs have tough anti leaf blower laws. Should Greenburgh ban leaf blowers from June 1 to September 30? If the town does not ban leaf blowers should we limit the time and days that landscapers/residents are allowed to use it? Do you feel that leaf blowers are harmful to the environment- noise and air pollution?
The Conservation Advisory Council will be discussing the issue at their July 9th meeting at 7:30 PM at Greenburgh Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought we already have limitations on leaf blowers and that enforcement was missing.

I'm very much in favor of a ban. They are loud, smelly, and comical. You see someone blowing away at a single leaf for minutes when the leaf can be picked up in a second.

-E.Hartsdale Resident

Anonymous said...

This will cost all of us property owners more money. Landscapers will just charge us more. Bad idea. Also will this law apply to all of the public workers who use them including Parks & Rec, & DPW?

Anonymous said...

The best solution is to bag the leaves, The blowers blow them from one property to another. Yes it will cost home owners some money but bagging is the cleanest and fast way to get rid of leaves. I have very little trees and yet I could fill up 25 bags of leaves at one time, why because the gardners blow them curbside and the wind blows the leaves onto my property.A law should be enacted that all leaves should be bagged. The town could save money --equipment costs and overtime will be cut down to nothing.

Anonymous said...

I thought the County enacted new legislation. Why should the township duplicate it?

But hey, I'd love to see a DPW worker actually use a leaf blower. The roadway shoulders and medians in Greenburgh are a mess.

Anonymous said...

The leaves should be raked into a pile then mulched and then put into recycled bags to be picked up by the Town, for the dump. This would also stop the unsafe practice
of piling the leaves in the street, which is against the law and never enforced.

Anonymous said...

I think this law is a bad idea. If noise is a problem just enforce the existing noise ordinances.

Anonymous said...

Enforcement of the town's noise ordinance plus the county's new regulations regarding the blowers should be more than sufficient. No special Greenburgh law is needed. I'm more concerned if the town will do leaf pickup this fall. Maybe the Conservation committee could analyze the DPW's operations.

Anonymous said...

No leaf blower ban needed. The existing noise ordinance needs to be enforced as I believe that leaf blowers and the huge commercial mowers landscapers use, fall into the excessive noise category. Landscapers show up before 8 a.m. and on holidays or holiday weekends It's almost impossible to enjoy my yard or entertain as a neighbors lawn crews will appear at any time. As a courtesy to my neighbors I do not allow my landscaper to come on any weekend or holiday. He has no problem with that.

Maybe the code should be amended to restrict this activity entirely. I'm not talking about the property owner with their little mower. When a crew shows up its usually 3 or more workers and the commercial mover, leaf blower and trimmers are all working simultaneously causing incredible noise!

Also, I think it would be a good idea to send out a reminder to residents of the noise ordinance as Greenburgh, or at least my neighborhood, has a huge turnover in home sales. When new people move in there is always some sort of improvements taking place. These new residents have no idea that they shouldn't be using jack hammers at 7:30 Saturday morning or wet saws at 9 at night. The noise in my neighborhood is debilitating.

Anonymous said...

Yes, we should put the ban on those leaf blowers just like some other towns do. Let folks bag the leaves and put it by the roadside in the brown bags. Stacking leaves by the road is dangerous, slippery when wet and takes up a good portion of the public road. Also please ban all garden work using noisy equipment on Sunday, lets make at least one day of the week a quiet day.

Anonymous said...

Addition, now use of garden equipment on holidays too.

Anonymous said...

Sorry. I meant NO USE OF EQUIPMENT ON HOLIDAYS TOO.

Anonymous said...

I agree with a bagging ordinance. In the Manor Woods neighborhood, the streets are impassable and hazardous in October and November. In addition the town leaf trucks cause damage to lawns.

Anonymous said...

ALL THE STREETS in Edgemont are an accident to happen when it comes to leaving the leaves supposedly at curbside.One cannot even walk because the leaves are way out on the roadwaqy. Pass an ordinance that all leaves should be bagged.and see how much safer and cleaner the streets are, If one lives in this area they should be concerned with the safety of their neighbors.Paul pass a resolution that all leaves should be bagged.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather a resolution be passed that the DPW be required to do its job. There would be no need for bagging if the DPW would do its work properly.

Anonymous said...

The DPW does it's work it's the gardeners that do not do the right job, because homeowners refuse to pay a higher price,to have the leaves bagged,.

Anonymous said...

Doesn't the town just drive around with a big vacuum truck for the curbside leaves? I've never seen it, but I just assumed that that is how it's supposed to be done, no?

Anonymous said...

Um....blowing and bagging are two separate issues. Many people blow to bag. why does anyone assume that bagged leaves are raked?

Just saying.....

Anonymous said...

Leaves tend to fall when the law wont be in affect.

Anonymous said...

Blowers cannot be banned ,since the gardners will not rake. pass the law taht blowers cannot be used before certain hours.Home owners that do not have gardners must use blowers on either Saturday or Sundays,since they work all week ,so this should be taken into consideration.I do my own leaf blowing on Sunday. since I work 6 days a week,but I do not start in the morning as to not wake up my neighbors.The cleanest way that I have found to keep your property and friendship with your neighbors is to bag the leaves,

Anonymous said...

Some of us have to work a lot of hours to afford our greenburgh taxes and Private School. During our free time we take care of our homes, blowers make my job easier.

Anonymous said...

The CAC should contact Scarsdale and Yonkers and see how their laws work.

Anonymous said...

Why use leaf blowers?

Instead contract for the services of famous Edgemont lawyer.

He blows a lot of hot air and does so in a low speaking voice.

Anonymous said...

People who cary on about leaf blowers are the latest in an increasingly visible group -- those who insist that everybody else accommodate their particular wishes.

Let them get a life. They chose to live in a community with trees where homes are not on 25 acre plots. I am sure that they do things that annoy their neighbors, but that is OK, isn't it? Just don't annoy them.

Anonymous said...

Why would a East Hartsdale Resident complain about leaf blowers, they dont own property, the only leaf blowers they hear are from the golf course that they pay big bucks to have a nice view of.

Anonymous said...

the hell with the blowers, gardeners don't start their day until after 8 oclock.The only thing you could do to satisfy the people is change the town noise ordinance.But the best solution to a cleaner Greenburgh is bagging the leaves.Think about it.