Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and West Tisbury all voted Tuesday to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by 2028 in order to cut down on noise and emissions.
The days of gas-powered leaf blowers on the Vineyard may be numbered after three towns voted to phase out the lawn equipment at their annual town meetings Tuesday night.
The bylaws are being proposed across the Island in an attempt to reduce noise and emissions, according to proponents. The articles drew some concerns from landscaping businesses in the lead-up to Tuesday, but passed at the first town meetings of the season in Oak Bluffs, Edgartown and West Tisbury.
Under the new bylaws, landscapers and homeowners will have to stop using gas-powered leaf blowers by the spring of 2028, giving people time to switch over to electric-powered blowers or old-fashioned rakes.
The articles were backed by the Vineyard Conservation Society, and drew considerable debate on town meeting floor. The landscaping industry is one of the largest on Martha’s Vineyard, hiring hundreds of people. During the spring and fall clean-up seasons, the chorus of blowers can be heard throughout the Island.
Edgartown moderator Steve Ewing looks out on the crowd at the Old Whaling Church.
Edgartown moderator Steve Ewing looks out on the crowd at the Old Whaling Church.
“As much as we want to be able to do our spring cleanup, we also should be able to enjoy time outside with our kids, with our grandkids, with our guests lying in a hammock, gardening,” Samantha Look, the executive director of Vineyard Conservation Society, said at West Tisbury town meeting.
Each of the articles designated periods in the spring and fall to allow the use of gas leaf blowers until the phaseout date. All blowers would also be subject to restrictions during certain times of day.
Edgartown, which was the first town to take up the issue via a rejected citizen’s petition last year, passed the new bylaw in a 197-42 vote. The article was amended to change the dates leaf blowers are permitted in the fall from Sept. 15 through Dec. 15 to Oct. 15 through Jan. 15.
A second citizen’s petition to ban gas-powered leaf blowers as early as July 1 was postponed indefinitely. Jim Joyce, a real estate broker who lives full-time in Edgartown and was behind the petition, told the town floor he may have been too harsh.
“All I really wanted to do was make America rake again,” Mr. Joyce said.
Mark Hess, manager of Edgartown Golf Club, said gas-powered leaf blowers are more efficient than electric and are essential to clearing goose feces and stray sand off the 62-acre course.
“There’s no question that gas-powered leaf blowers are overused,” Mr. Hess said. “In my opinion, they are essential to some operations.”
Affordable housing committee member Justin Kush proposed amending the article to exempt recreational facilities from the article’s provisions but it did not carry.
In Oak Bluffs, the bylaw passed narrowly by a vote of 98-79. The article carried after an amendment allowing the use of non-commercial leaf blowers on Sundays between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. passed.
“I’m somebody who works six days a week,” said resident Ashley Van Murphy. “My only day off is Sunday. I should be able to clean my yard.”
Jose Sanabria, who owns a small landscaping company, said that he worried about the fact that the bylaw will be enforced by the police department when many of the landscaping company owners are immigrants.
Reading over the warrant in West Tisbury.
Reading over the warrant in West Tisbury.
“My main concern at this point becomes not really the bylaw about the noise, but the police department enforcing this bylaw,” he said. “Police are meant to keep the harmony among the town.”
Mr. Sanabria also said that because many small landscaping companies are owned by immigrants, not all of the owners could vote on the issue that pertained to them.
Oak Bluffs Police Chief Jonathan Searle also expressed concern about uniformed, armed police officers being the ones to enforce the restrictions.
“I don’t believe it’s a legitimate use of police resources,” he said, citing concerns about understaffing.
The chief also worried leaf blower calls could take time away from the regional communication center, which also handles calls about medical emergencies and motor vehicle accidents.
In addition, he highlighted the potential impact of what would happen if the fines associated with the restrictions were not paid. On the first violation, people will receive a warning. On the second, the fine is $100. Subsequent violations come with a $200 fine.
“If someone does not pay that bylaw ticket, it turns into an arrest warrant,” Chief Searle said.
In West Tisbury, the leaf blower article drew the most discussion of the evening. Amendments changing the phase-out date and other pieces of the bylaw failed.
Landscaper Justin Kelleher brought the amendment forward, citing that he wasn’t against the restrictions but was worried about potential price increases and the durability of electric leaf blowers, issues he had experienced having used similar equipment.
“If you’re lucky enough, maybe you can send it back to the actual manufacturer and eventually get it repaired and [have them] send it back,” he said.
The bylaws will now head to Tisbury and Chilmark later this spring. Aquinnah town administrator Jeffrey Madison said that there is not a ban on his town meeting warrant, which is still being finalized.
Addison Antonoff, Katrina Liu and Gwyn Skiles contributed to this report.
Comments
“All I really wanted to do
Mary Edgartown“All I really wanted to do was make America rake again,” Mr. Joyce said.
We have bigger problems than leaf blowers, my God!
We have homeless folks , drug and alcohol addiction, inflation just to name a few.
The cost of my prescriptions have tripled in the last 2 years! And we are worried about blowers?? I like many others on the island can barely makes ends meet with the costs of every thing skyrocketing out of control.
Now we will have to hire someone to police blowers ??? What a joke!
Just because big problems
Anonymous EdgartownJust because big problems exist doesn't mean that small problems shouldn't also be solved.
Mary, do you honestly think
tom BostonMary, do you honestly think we can't handle more than one thing that affects the Island at a time? The Towns can still address homelessness, drugs, alcohol addition etc. That said, the Towns really are helpless when it comes to prescription medicines and inflation. Those are macroeconomic events.
No, I do not think this
Sarah EdgartownNo, I do not think this island can handle a multitude of problems at once, but of course gas leaf blowers come first. Did anyone think of the landscaping companies who likely have to upgrade to allign with this small problem, but big $ for them. And this topic/issue seemingly trumps our ongoing necessary focus on affordable housing.... More worried about the leaf blowers than housing islanders and ensuring we have benches under awnings for those that really need them. Anyone who spent time advocating for this should have used there NRG in a different manner...
We don't have to hire anyone
R Scott Patterson EdgartownWe don't have to hire anyone Mary. Regardless of what we do in regards to leaf blowers your other issues won't be affected in any way.
How are leaf blowers bad for
Reggie Edwards Oak BluffsHow are leaf blowers bad for the environment?
Yay to the "Make America Rake
Elaine Vanderhoop AquinnahYay to the "Make America Rake again" especially during these incredibly stressful times when so many people are feeling pressure and disenfranchised and in high anxiety about the future! Add to that the piercing, whining, eardrum shattering noise of leaf blowers, and for many this adds another stress factor. A longtime wish came true for me when I heard that the towns have voted to impose limits and phase out 2 stroke gas blowers. Could have gone further in my opinion, but it's a great start to a more peaceful, quieter, healthier lifestyle. We can solve small problems locally now, and remain vigilant and conscious of the larger issues at the same time.
Totally agree. I also wonder
Jean WTTotally agree. I also wonder why the towns could care less that people doing this work are dealing with horrendous housing costs, utilities etc and now they want to further reduce their income by insuring they work less and then pay more for machinery.
Who is going to enforce this?
next joke mvWho is going to enforce this? I see massive numbers of zoning violations, houses full of large numbers of people overloading septic systems (supposed to be no more than 3 unrelated people) yards full of un registered vehicles, commercial operations without permits in residential areas. Ever heard of 'selective enforcement'?
When will they have hearings
George Stein OBWhen will they have hearings on legislation of trees unlawfully shedding leaves ?
I suspect we need more
PETER EDGARTOWNI suspect we need more information regarding this horrible shedding of leaves.
I feel we need to pick a street corner and yell and scream for hours and bring this
to light.
Fall season MUST be stopped.
Reggie Edwards Oak BluffsFall season MUST be stopped. I will happily join you at the protest to scream at the leaves, and hold my sign as we hold this menace accountable!
I use my leaf blower, maybe
The Colonel Oak BluffsI use my leaf blower, maybe six times a year, and now you're going to control how I use it. At a minimum individual lot owners should be exempt from this. This is another example of overreach on this island.
This is a complete waste of
Bill EdgartownThis is a complete waste of time and resources.
There was a time before these
Bob EdgartownThere was a time before these machines came around that you heard faint sounds of rakes and workers talking to each other next door. Now these same workers do not talk with each other and you can hear their machines from down the street. None of the workers like wearing these machines all day and have to because of their boss or the need to keep up. This will make the workers life a little better and the neighbors life as well. Yes we have other issues and if you went to town meeting you saw we dealt with many more issues besides this one as we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
"None of the workers like
Reggie Edwards Oak Bluffs"None of the workers like wearing these machines all day and have to because of their boss or the need to keep up."
Which workers? Name them. Provide the source for your false bottom, hollow comment.
You definitely have never
Jon KatamaYou definitely have never used a rake or a leaf blower this is not making workers life any better but much harder.
Thank goodness, we finally
Islander MVThank goodness, we finally started to address common sense solutions to leaf blowers, catching up to many communities that have done this for years, in some cases decades. Nantucket has banned these outright for five years, we don’t want them to win, do we? All kidding aside, they are a huge nuisance, and the people complaining here should have to listen to them all hours of the day, I guess, to really get the point? If you can’t come to Martha’s Vineyard for peace and quiet, what can you come to? As for enforcement and following the bylaw, the point of this country is not to pass laws and then push as far as you go to see if somebody will catch you, or punish you, it’s to follow the laws that are passed, because we are all represented as a people and make decisions collectively upon which we vote.
Every single landscaping
Matthew Oak BluffsEvery single landscaping company and gold course on island should call the AG office and voice their concern. This has no bearing until it is approved by the attorney general.
https://www.mass.gov/municipal-law-review
Whenever a town adopts or amends its general by-laws, within 30 days of adjournment of town meeting, the Town Clerk is required to submit them to the Attorney General's Office for review and approval. The Attorney General then has 90 days in which to decide whether the proposed amendments are consistent with the constitution and the laws of the Commonwealth. If the Attorney General finds an inconsistency between the proposed amendments and state law, the amendments or portions of them will be disapproved.
I could care less about leaf
Mark MVI could care less about leaf blowers. I never used one never will. I like to compost and let the leaves be. That being said, now we are introducing thousands and thousand of batteries to the island. How do we re-charge them, dispose them??
Answer electricity and landfills are we better off?
Exactly and one of the big
Justin WTExactly and one of the big details people refuse to acknowledge. It’s safe to say there’s roughly 10,000 functional gas blowers on island that will be rendered obsolete and end up in landfills, then replaced. At what point did we agree egregious over consumption is suddenly good for the environment?
Since my solar panels won't
non conforming off grid mvSince my solar panels won't produce enough electricity to power an AC powered electric blower , I will have no choice but to start up my reliable extremely loud gasoline powered standby generator and plug the cord into that. I can't afford a new lithium battery powered portable electric leaf blower so I have no choice. I guarantee that my loud gasoline powered generator will make a lot more noise for a much longer period of time than my reliable 2 cycle backpack. If you want me to give up my blower, pay for the replacement. Otherwise mind your own business.
Guess what?
Be Quiet! EdgartownGuess what?
Your neighbors want to be able to enjoy THEIR lives and not listen to you making completely unnecessary noise.
How about I play the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" turned all the way up to 11 for an hour once a day so you can hear it while you eat dinner?
Its not a leaf blower Officer
Baxter B. EdgartownIts not a leaf blower Officer Obie.... its a 2cc engine that usually identifies as an edger or a string trimmer....
What’s next? Lawnmowers?
Cheryl EdgartownWhat’s next? Lawnmowers? Snowblowers? Hot tubs? Generators??!We want to ban everything.
Now landscapers will have to buy many thousands of heavy duty lithium batteries, and will be recharging them constantly using the electric grid then when the batteries are done, they will end up in landfills or the side of the road…
Be careful what you wish for.
Carl Kelly East ChopBe careful what you wish for. I live in NJ and when a similar ban went through here people started drastically pruning and cutting down trees so they wouldn’t have to rake as much. They also bought larger and louder push leaf blowers and mulching machines that they used instead of backpack blowers. Think gas powered vacuum cleaners. This ban will not yield the results that you want.
This is typical. Someone
Joshua ChappyThis is typical. Someone (landscapers) abuses something and everyone else gets screwed. How’s about they can’t be used commercially if I spend 1 hour blowing my own lawn a few times a year what’s the big deal. I get it if someone is using it daily for hours but come on!
So now the average price of a
Lawn Doom EdgSo now the average price of a lawn “mow and blow” goes from $120 to $160 haha! We are winning folks!! I must see a new landscaping company truck every week. What a racket. Cha Ching! Costs to upgrade equipment will come out of our pocket anyhow.
Well said! Now we will have
Peter EdgartownWell said! Now we will have battery pollution. I have 3 battery powered blowers. I have already replaced the batteries 4 times in two years.
How do you recharge all these batteries???
Electricity! Where will the batteries be disposed after a year or two? Landfills.
Gas was actually more environmentally friendly.
Yes they are noisy and
Mark Acker VHYes they are noisy and obnoxious but I question the legality of banning any approved item purchased in a typical store? Can cars be banned? Or your gas powered lawn mower? Or your chainsaw? Or large excavation machinery? Building a home is often loud? Most of us have gas powered machines. It should be based on decibels, not type item. The Boards of Health already have regulations on sound now, there are State decibel standards already in place. What if a company designs a very quiet muffler for their leaf blower? What about thousands of people that already bought gas blowers? Do towns need to reimburse them for their loss? I think this is a giant lawsuit in the making. The State should pass a law that any machine that exceeds a certain decibel can be banned, and no machine exceeding that decibel rating be allowed to be sold in the State. But you can’t tell someone after they bought a machine they can’t use it.
Never forget, this entire
JT MVNever forget, this entire exercise is the result of landscaping owners having a guy(or three) running their gas-powered blowers non-stop from dawn til dusk.
They created their own problem by not caring about the people around them, so now they can deal with the consequences those same people are now doling out to them.
The real winner is whichever
Organic Raking® EDGThe real winner is whichever landscaping company decides to ditch power tools all together and go to "Rakes Only" hahaha and they'll charge DOUBLE and by all means I bet they'll have a booming business. What better way for homeowners to virtue signal to the neighborhood - AND - show your wealth!
Amazing what people are
Gail EdgartownAmazing what people are concerned about…
A real common sense approach would have been no holidays or Sundays, restrict from 9am-6pm.
I hope you’re kidding with
Islander MVI hope you’re kidding with the 9-6 pm thing, you so realize that’s the entire day to enjoy for a lot of people who aren’t always at work, etc. except when the machines are drowning out everything—it’s shocking so many people support them. If you want to live in an upscale picture-perfect suburb there are plenty to choose from.
I will happily run my
Mike Ack EdgartownI will happily run my generator to power my plug in leaf blower. See how they like that!
What a joke,still going to
Bob West tisWhat a joke,still going to use mine when ever I need to,
As an aging homeowner with
Lifer12 VHAs an aging homeowner with shoulder issues, raking is not a viable option. I use my gas leafblower perhaps twice per year to clean up the fall mess. Fall also happens to be when many are using chainsaws of a similar or greater volume. As jets fly overhead. And motorcycles use the roads. And chippers chew up brush. Seems like we're (again) caving to the wants of the few who complained the loudest about something that inconveniences the many and, ultimately, will make virtually no difference to the ubiquitous noise pollution. Can we not just say that people must abide by the towns' existing noise ordinance, refraining from using gas leafblowers in neighborhoods before, say, 8:00 during the week and 9:00 on weekends? Why must it be an all-out ban?
Wow, this thankfully is
John Aldeborgh KatamaWow, this thankfully is prompting a vigorous response, as it should! It’s a perfect example of how a democracy isn’t always a good idea, as it doesn’t protect individual liberty, or the minority, just the opposite. Why can’t someone not living in town, on a larger parcel of land, surrounded by neighbors who don’t care if they use a gas blower, be restricted in any way? This is exactly my case. Add in banning gas leaf blowers because of air pollution is the equivalent of banning plastic straws when everything we buy in a supermarket is wrapped in some sort of plastic, it’s less than a “fart in a windstorm”. This is activism at its most absurd.
My real name and I just
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownMy real name and I just bought a leafblower the other day in Falmouth ,see you at the leaf piles
No I do not live on the
Joseph Buti BostonNo I do not live on the Island, but I have been going there for more years than I care to admit. It has changed so so much. If I had to use one word to say how, I would say ‘conflicted’.
it is now, seasonal owners vs
michael edgartownit is now, seasonal owners vs year round owners. look at the short term rental committee in west tisbury, and the rules they impose on your life and homes....how this can be imposed is unbelievable......they are literally regulating your life and property... its the same with leaf blowers....
This was a very important
MATT CHILD OF GAY HEADThis was a very important action taken here....with all the injuries and deaths.....leaf blowers have caused on island over the years. BRAVO!!!!!!!!
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