By Bronxville Green Committee

Apr. 28, 2021: Thanks to all who participated in our recent leaf blower survey. The survey was distributed in an article in My Hometown Bronxville on April 7, a Village Hall email on April 16, and in Mayor Marvin’s column in My Hometown Bronxville on April 21, 2021.

The survey was conducted in response to the increased number of leaf blower complaints Village Hall has received from residents this past year. Grievances about leaf blowers include noise pollution, lower quality of life, and negative impacts on our health and environment.

The Bronxville Green Committee will be working with Village Hall to study the issue and make recommendations that are representative of residents’ opinions, practical for landscapers, and protective of our health and environment.

Almost 300 residents responded to the survey, which provided helpful viewpoints and suggestions.  

The survey found that a majority of respondents support extending the ban on all leaf blowers to some extent, and limiting gas blowers in favor of electric blowers. The top three reasons were noise pollution, air pollution, and air-borne particulate matter. Only a minority of respondents currently support a complete ban of both gas and electric blowers, with many residents seeking more information before providing an opinion.

For our next steps, we plan to:

-Research available technologies to compare gas and electric leaf blowers and inform residents on the pros and cons of each option.

-Speak with Bronxville’s registered landscapers to better understand their challenges and discuss solutions.

-Research local municipalities that have recently updated their leaf blower regulations to learn from their experiences. Many Westchester communities are currently reviewing their Village codes, and several have recently revised their codes to significantly restrict gas blowers.

-Share these findings and propose recommendations for changes to Bronxville’s current regulation.

-Address enforcement protocol to support new or existing regulation.

-Provide residents with healthy yard care alternatives to leaf blowing.

Our overall goal is to address increased resident concern about the negative effects of gas-powered leaf blowers while understanding residents’ desire to manage their personal property as they see fit. We believe it is possible to meet both needs and will continue to keep you informed of our progress.

If you have not yet completed the survey, you can do so here.

For more on this topic, please join the upcoming Rivertowns Pollinator Pathways event “Electric Leaf Blowers and Sustainable Lawn Care”, a talk by Jeff Cordulack, the Founder of Organic Ways and Means Landscaping. Jeff will discuss techniques for incorporating organic landscaping practices on your property, including how his company is only using electric-powered leaf blowers and other lawn maintenance equipment to promote sustainable environmental practices. Please register for the Zoom link.

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community. Please contact us with any questions, suggestions, concerns, and to volunteer in our efforts!

Photo: Jennifer Victoriarsen, Pexels, 11352

Editor's note: As a public service, MyhometownBronxville publishes articles from local institutions, officeholders, and individuals. MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements therein, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff.