Leaf Blower Ban In Greenburgh? Yea Or Nay?

DOBBS FERRY, NY — Town of Greenburgh residents have, over the years, asked the town board to ban leaf blowers. The issued came up again this spring, Supervisor Paul Feiner said, so he sent out an email asking residents for their thoughts on the matter.

“Some like the concept,” Feiner said in an email with some of the responses. “Others don’t.”

The comments ranged from the short-and-sweet “We strongly support ban on leaf blowers,” sent in by Lech (Feiner deleted all but the last names) to a plea from a landscaper names Gina who said many of her customers are elderly and can’t afford to slip on acorns, leaves and other yard debris.

Gina also said she has purchased electric blowers for $700 but they only last 20 minutes and then need to be charged.

She asked Feiner to hold off on the issue until the May meeting, because many people were away during the holidays and school break and may not have had a chance to respond.

Other commenters suggested restricting leaf blowers to certain days of the week or limited portions of the days.

One responder named Dvora said the biggest problem with leaf blowers is the pollution.

“There have been many days where I stopped gardening and got into the house and shut the windows because of the pollution that came my way, either from my own landscapers or from neighboring properties,” she said.

“And the workers are breathing in the pollution, too, all season,” Dvora said.

Patch file photo.