Residents press township to reexamine leaf blower exceptions in noise ordinance

Several residents raised noise concerns at the Feb. 18 meeting, urging the township to revisit exceptions in its noise ordinance that group landscaping equipment with heavy machinery.

Charlie Schachter (10 Raleigh Court) told the committee that township daytime residential baseline noise appears to be 65 decibels and contrasted that with a leading commercial gas blower (Echo 9010T) whose manufacturer rating he cited at 79.3 dB. He explained the logarithmic nature of decibels and argued that repeated blower use is not comparable to occasional heavy equipment.

"The leaf blower is rated at 79.3 decibels," Schachter said. "The difference is 14.3 decibels...a 14 difference means the sound is 27 times more intense which is perceived by the human ear as 2.5 times louder." He urged the committee to reexamine exceptions and whether regular use by landscapers should be treated differently.

Committee members acknowledged the data and said the township continues to study its noise ordinance and to consider surrounding municipalities' approaches. Township officials noted they appreciate correspondence on the topic from other towns (including Maplewood) and indicated ordinance review is ongoing.

Why it matters: Noise rules affect residents' quality of life and enforcement; any change to exceptions would affect landscapers, nonprofits and commercial operations.

What happens next: Committee and staff said they will continue to review the noise ordinance and related correspondence; no formal vote or change was made at the Feb. 18 meeting.