Westport may soon introduce leaf blower noise ordinance

WESTPORT — The leaf blower saga continues, but this time the focus of the discussion is on noise.

Although the current regulations on gas-powered leaf blowers were put in place to reduce their environmental impact, some residents misinterpret them as noise regulations, Ellen Lautenberg, chairwoman of the City Council’s Environmental Affairs Committee, said at a recent meeting.

The leaf blower regulations officially went into effect on May 15, 2023, and will remain in effect until October 15, 2023, with restrictions on the time of day that gas-powered leaf blowers can be used. The regulations came into effect again in May of this year, but are now stricter, with gas-powered leaf blowers not allowed to be used from May to October.

But instead of consequences, violators are given educational materials about the ordinance. Some landscapers choose to ignore it, citing the cost of equipping their businesses with electric blowers and the inefficiency of the technology.

The commission is currently working to amend these regulations, potentially introducing a noise ordinance.

Lautenberg said Westport’s current noise ordinance is limited in scope and only applies to noise generated by construction activities, which currently occurs between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

Leaf blower noise is not as bad on weekdays as it is on weekends and holidays, almost constantly, Rep. Julie Whamond said.

“We can just allow ourselves to rest on some days,” she said.

Tysen Canevari, owner of Signature Landscaping in Norwalk, which has clients throughout Fairfield County, is one landscaper who hasn’t outfitted his crew with power equipment, and he says he knows of many others who haven’t, largely because of the cost.

“This should not be a political issue, but a practical one,” he said of the regulations.

He recently purchased a top-of-the-range gas-powered leaf blower that cost $600. An equivalent electric leaf blower with enough batteries to last a day would run about $2,000 to $2,500, he said.

Tony Palmer, owner of Westport-based Palmer Landscapes LLC, which serves Fairfield County, complied and outfitted four trucks at a cost of $1,500 each.

“I don’t want my business to be perceived as illegal,” he said, explaining why he complies with the rules.

However, he still feels the technology isn’t where landscapers need it. Once the battery runs out, it can’t be automatically recharged because it needs to cool down first, so having more than one battery per blower is necessary.

His crew can use backpack leaf blowers, which are non-electric, on one of the 32-acre properties they manage, but otherwise, “it’s a no-win situation for us.”

Some city public works departments may also use gas-powered leaf blowers, which Canevari said is unfair to small businesses.

Canevari said the noise ordinance would be fair but could have a potential negative impact on homeowners who work during the day and want to tend to their gardens after typical work hours.

He added that it would be helpful if the regulation was also available in Spanish, which is the primary language of some groundskeeping workers.

Regardless, he wants to change the current regulations.

“Let’s just hold off on it until the technology is ready and that’s sufficient,” he said.

On the issue of enforcing the noise ordinance, RTM member Claudia Shaum says the city needs to make sure the ordinance is in place to prevent neighbors from snitching on each other. She’s heard reports from Greenwich, where police are often called out to noise from leaf blowers.

Palmer said he raised the noise issue when the leaf blower discussion first began years ago, but it fell on deaf ears. But he believes some companies or individuals would violate that aspect as well.

Palmer believes there should be specific penalties for those who do not comply with the rules, as it would not be fair to those who did comply.

The leaf blower ordinance is set to be revisited in the fall, with the support of Environmental Protection Director Collin Kelly.