Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Leaf Blower Exemption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rye Brook grants one-year exemption to Doral Greens for seasonal leaf-blower ban
Summary
The Village of Rye Brook Board of Trustees approved a one-year extension of an exemption to the seasonal gas-powered leaf blower ban for Doral Greens HOA, keeping the same conditions as the prior resolution: no gas blowers on driveways/walkways during the ban and 50% of blowers must be electric through Sept. 30, 2026.
The Rye Brook Board of Trustees voted to grant Doral Greens Homeowners Association a one-year extension of an exemption from the village’s seasonal gas-powered leaf blower ban, keeping the conditions from last year’s resolution in place through Sept. 30, 2026.
Ross Cellneck, general counsel for Doral Greens, told the board the HOA submitted the application to continue last year’s mitigation plan. "We have submitted this application to extend the exemption for another year or two if you feel it's appropriate," Cellneck said, describing the HOA’s proposal to adhere to the precautions authorized in the earlier resolution.
Henry Valencia, who does maintenance for the development through Valencia Work Group, described equipment and operational steps taken last season: bagging leaf clippings, using electric blowers on sidewalks and walkways, and mixing limited gas-powered equipment for large turf areas. "The technology is still not there," Valencia said of battery-powered blowers, noting short battery life and operational challenges for large properties.
Board members pressed the presenters on costs and safety. Officials said fully complying with a hypothetical all-electric approach would cost roughly $200,000 and likely create a hardship for the HOA. The board asked whether the HOA’s plan achieved the local law’s intent and whether safety concerns about lithium batteries were being mitigated.
Trustees then moved to approve the one-year extension with the same conditions as the previous resolution: gas-powered blowers not to be used on driveways and walkways during the ban period, 50% of blowers to be electric, and extension through Sept. 30, 2026. The motion passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the meeting transcript as: "Trustee Yacino? Yes. Trustee Heiser? Yes. Trustee Kron? Yes. Trustee Marlino? Yes. Mayor Klein? Yes." (Names and spellings reflect the board’s roll call as recorded at the meeting.)
The board offered to revisit the law more broadly as technology and enforcement practices evolve.
The exemption decision was procedural and limited to the Doral Greens application; the village continues to evaluate whether its local law and enforcement approach meet the community’s goals and technical realities.
