Greenburgh Considers Partial Ban On Leaf Blowers

GREENBURGH, NY — The town of Greenburgh will continue to consider a partial ban on leaf blowing equipment.

At Wednesday’s Town Board meeting, the council held two public hearings related to leaf and garden blowers: one to amend a chapter of the town code entitled “Noise” and a second to create a new chapter in the town code entitled “Leaf Blowers, Regulation of Yard and Leaf Blowers.”

The legislation would put a leaf blower holiday on Tuesdays and Thursday, meaning blowers could not be used on either of those days. The equipment also could not be used on state and federal holidays.

Leaf blowers would be allowed from May 1 through Dec. 1 on other weekdays — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and would be allowed for limited hours on weekends — from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Blowers in excess of 75 decibels measured 50 feet from the property line would be prohibited at all times.

The town’s Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments would be allowed to operate yard and leaf blowers during the hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on days that the use of blowers are permitted.

If enacted, the law would only be in place for one year. After that time, the Town Board would review the impact of the law and then decide whether it should be extended, repealed or modified.

During the public hearing, Larry Wilson of Lawrence Landscape Design said the proposal partial ban was unprecedented and would be hard to enforce.

He said the morning and evening restrictions on weekends are understandable.

“We feel that is fair,” Wilson said.

However, he said a simple summer ban from May 1 to Oct. 1 would be better, as well as allowing landscapers to use electric blowers.

Greenburgh resident Carol Allen offered a suggestion to the board to educate townspeople about mulching their leaves instead of collecting them.

“It could probably save a tremendous amount of money if we stop hauling the leaves away,” she said.

The Town Board voted to keep the public hearings open in order to receive more comments from the public and other interested parties.

The proposed local law can be read in its entirety through this link.