By the Bronxville Green Committee

July 28, 2021: Last week, at a public meeting held in Village Hall, Bronxville’s trustees scheduled a public hearing for a proposed more restrictive ordinance on gas-powered leaf blowers.  A copy of the proposed local law can be found on the Village website. The public may submit written comment now or attend the public hearing on September 13^th.

Since early 2020 grievances about gas-powered leaf blowers have been the number one resident complaint to Village Hall. Concerns include noise pollution, lower quality of life, and negative impacts on our health and environment.

At the request of Mayor Marvin and the Village Trustees, the Bronxville Green Committee spent numerous months evaluating this issue. Steps that were taken include:

• Conducting two surveys soliciting opinions about leaf blowers and landscaping practices: one from residents and one from landscapers registered in Bronxville
• Gathering detailed information on leaf blower ordinances in many Westchester municipalities and studying their reports
• Comparing gas and electric leaf blowers currently available for sale
• Drafting several proposals to extend the current restrictions, for Trustee review
• Reviewing enforcement protocols to support any new or existing regulation
• Writing a report for public posting that includes more detailed supportive material, charts, graphs, appendices

The findings and proposals were presented to the Village Trustees at their June 14^th public meeting. In Bronxville, gas-powered leaf-blowers are currently banned from June 1 until September 30. Proposals to extend restrictions were developed with the goals of representing residents’ opinions, offering practical solutions for landscapers, and acting to protect our health and environment.

After further review, the Village trustees had a new local law drafted and at their July 22^nd meeting, they scheduled a hearing for September 13^th.  The proposed law would extend the prohibition from December 15th to March 15th and again from May 15th to October 15th. If the revised ordinance passes, gas-powered leaf blowers will be permitted only during the more difficult Spring and Fall clean-up periods.  During the non-restricted time, gas-powered leaf blowers may operate from Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.; they will be prohibited on Sunday. Electric-powered leaf blowers will be permitted all year. This amendment will align Bronxville with dozens of other Westchester communities that have extended restrictions on gas-powered blower or, in rare instances, banned them altogether.

Since Bronxville requires all landscapers to register with the Village and each must display a registration number on their vehicles, residents should feel free to report a violation without directly confronting the worker, who might not be aware of the law and may take orders from an off-site manager. Photos of the violation and the registration sticker sent to Village Hall will prompt a letter of warning from the Village Administrator's office, followed by sterner warnings and a fine if the violations continue.

By avoiding direct confrontations or involving the police, residents are encouraged to report violations. The Village and Green Committee websites will post procedures for reporting violations.

The Green Committee’s reports on gas-powered leaf blowers can be found here.

The proposed revised ordinance can be found on the Village website.

Again, those wishing to comment on the proposed ordinance are encouraged to attend and speak at the September 13^th trustee’s public hearing in Village Hall.  You may also write or email before that date to Mayor Marvin and the Village Trustees.

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. Visit our website to learn more about or effort and how to get involved!

Photo courtesy of Pexels

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