Submitted by Jane Brash, Elizabeth Dempsey, Karen deWahl, Sophie Koven, Leslie Petrick, Svetlana Wasserman
At Monday’s meeting of the RTM, representatives will have the opportunity to deliver on a thirty-year dream of Greenwich residents: to be able to enjoy the precious days of summer in their own yards without the deafening noise and toxic fumes of gas leaf blowers.
This 30-year struggle began in 1992 when jazz pianist Dick Roberts started a group called Project Quiet Yards because the noise from gas leaf blowers was interfering with his ability to practice in his own home. At that time, the Town’s response was that the solution would have to be education — teaching people how to use leaf blowers considerately.
Fast forward 20 years to 2012, and the use of gas leaf blowers proliferated from a fall clean-up to a year-round practice. Another group formed and asked the RTM for an August moratorium. They lost by 17 votes.
Eleven years later, residents are again asking the town for a break. In the post-pandemic era, many people continue to work from home, and the constant noise from gas leaf blowers interrupts their work, their concentration, their children’s naps, and their sanity.
Although the Town limits noise in residential zones to 55 decibels, gas leaf blowers, which are almost double that limit, are exempt between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on weekends. Even at 50 feet from the source, gas leaf blower noise is 65-80 decibels, well above the limits our town ordinance deems healthy. This noise crosses property lines, and its low-frequency soundwave easily penetrates walls and windows (more than electric blowers which have 50% less impact on the ear).
In addition to their excessive noise, gas leaf blowers are terrible for our health and for the environment. They employ an archaic 2-stroke engine that emits three of the most carcinogenic compounds identified by the EPA – benzene, butadiene, and formaldehyde – which linger in the air for days, and are inhaled by us, our children and our pets.
This kind of engine produces the same amount of greenhouse gasses as a Ford F-150 pickup driven from Texas to Alaska – a distance of 3,900 miles.
The proposal before the RTM is a reasonable compromise that allows landscapers and homeowners to use their gas leaf blowers during the time of year they need them most–in spring and fall when they need to clear wet heavy leaves and flowers, while giving residents a break in summer to enjoy their own homes and yards. Summer lawn cleanup – mostly grass clippings and bits of debris – can be easily handled with electric leaf blowers or lawn sweepers.
Zero-emission electric leaf blowers are powerful and affordable. A recently top-reviewed 650 CFM blower kit with charger and battery sells for under $300, making it accessible to both do-it-yourselfers and landscaping professionals. 24 neighboring towns, from Westport to Bedford, have long had similar rules in place.
Nearly 30 years ago a ban on smoking in restaurants was introduced. Restaurants cried that they would be driven out of business, and smokers said their rights were being violated. The ban passed and the sky didn’t fall. Restaurant business swelled as customers could now enjoy their food without having to inhale secondhand smoke.
Like cigarette smoke, gas leaf blower noise and fumes are not confined to the yard where they are being used. They are impacting the quality of life and health of their neighbors. It is time to give residents’ property rights equal consideration. We urge the RTM to adopt item 8, and give residents the break they have been seeking for 30 years to be able to enjoy the homes and yards they worked so hard to be able to afford.