Committee to study leaf-blower use, noise
Everyone agrees they can be annoying to listen to, especially before coffee time.
But should Sanibel ban the use of leaf-blowers? The idea is under consideration, with the city’s Vegetation Committee gathering data on noise pollution and public health in the coming weeks. The committee will also study other communities that ban or limit gas-powered leaf-blowers, the droning devices that swoosh cut grass, palm fronds and other debris from our driveways and lawns.
“It’s an enormous issue,” said Susan Marks, a Vegetation Committee vice chair. The group met Oct. 2 to consider what, if anything, to do about the pitched whine of leaf-blowers in Sanibel.
Sanibel’s concerns reflect a broader push to limit or out-right ban leaf-blowers. Dozens of jurisdictions have ordinances limiting or banning their use. The city of Newport Beach in California, for instance, has an ordinance against leaf-blowers, citing excess noise and the promotion of comfort and safety for its residents.
Other concerns for the communities limiting usage are dust and debris. Sanibel has restrictions on noise before 8 a.m. and after 9 p.m. But most everyone acknowledges that landscape crews regularly violate the restrictions, largely because it’s cooler in the early hours.
Marks is a morning walker. But her journeys are frequently ruined by crews blasting leaf-blowers after trimming lawns and trees, she said.
“People,” she said, “are tired of it. It’s every week all year long.”
What’s the alternative, asked island landscaper Robert Walton, owner of Grounds by Green Ways in Sanibel?
“It’s a tricky question,” Walton said. “Leaf-blowers are efficient and help us keep prices down. But even my wife complains about them. My thinking is that we kind of have to accept some things to have other things.”
Vegetation Committee members will in the coming weeks gather data and community input, compile the findings and forward suggestions to the city. The committee’s report would not extend beyond recommendations, Marks said. City Council would have the final say.