Conservation Commission
‘A Quiet Community’: Conservation Commission Recommends New Restrictions on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
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Members of a town-appointed body that advises on the protection and conservation of New Canaan’s natural resources are seeking to further restrict the use of gas-powered leaf blowers here, saying the machines are bad for residents, wildlife and the environment.
The Conservation Commission at its most recent meeting voted unanimously in favor of recommendations to only allow gas-powered leaf blowers or “GLBs” October through Dec. 15 and then again from mid-March through April.
In a set of recommendations that’s being forwarded to a committee of the town’s legislative body that oversees ordinances, the Commission also is recommending some limits on the number of GLBs per property (such as one for properties under three acres and two for properties over three acres), and limiting hours of use to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and allow only one leaf blower per property (gas or electric) on Saturdays. The GLBs would be allowed for use following natural emergencies such as hurricanes, and also allowed for Department of Public Works use on public properties while pursing “transitional plan to electric powered machines,” under the Commission’s recommendations. “Consider allowing electric leaf blowers year-around that operate within the time and property guidelines specified above,” the Commission’s recommendations said. “Ensure that their decibel levels don’t exceed 65dB.