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Somers board hears arguments for partial seasonal ban on gas leaf blowers; enforcement and cost concerns raised
Summary
Town board discussion on a proposed partial ban on gas-powered leaf blowers centered on noise, dust and biodiversity concerns raised by the Energy & Environment Committee, while board members questioned enforcement feasibility, landscapers’ equipment costs and appropriate hours or decibel limits.
The Somers Town Board on June 4 discussed a proposal from the Somers Energy & Environmental Committee and the Open Space Committee to adopt a partial, seasonal restriction on gas‑powered leaf blowers.
Michael Barns presented a memo noting that in Westchester a small number of municipalities have adopted full bans while roughly two dozen have partial restrictions; he said partial bans typically limit routine blower use outside the main leaf‑fall window and aim to reduce noise and the spreading of dust and allergens. “These bans are attempting to discourage the use of leaf blowers to clean up lawns after mowing,” Barns said, citing noise and biodiversity concerns.
Speakers debated the evidence linking leaf‑blower use to pollinator declines. Barns and other presenters said high‑powered blowers strip organic matter from lawns and can reduce habitat for insects and native bees. Other participants cautioned that there is no direct causal research linking blowers to monarch declines and noted other drivers such as loss of milkweed.
Board members pressed on enforcement and practicality. Presenters suggested that a county‑level approach tied to landscaper licensing could be more enforceable than relying on neighbor complaints. Members also raised cost and operational issues for professionals — battery life on electric equipment, on‑site charging practices and whether landscapers would use generators — and said any transition should consider incentives or rebates currently pending at the state level.
The group discussed alternatives such as setting start times for blower use on weekends (e.g., later than 7:00 a.m.) or adopting a decibel limit measured at property lines as a way to address nuisance complaints without broad equipment bans. The board did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting and said it would continue to study legal options, enforcement models and hours or decibel standards before deciding.
"I think this is not going to just be satisfied off the top of our head tonight. There's stuff that we have to look into the town code and ask... but this is something that we will continue to look at and probably have more discussion," one board member said.
