Maplewood recently enacted a temporary ban to address residents' concerns about noise and air pollution.
Should N.J. suburbs ban leaf blowers? (File photo)MAPLEWOOD -- Leaf blowers: inconsiderate noisemakers, or a necessary part of suburban life?
The township committee in Maplewood took a stance on the town-wide debate earlier this month when it voted unanimously to ban commercial leaf blowers in Maplewood between June 1 and August 31 of this year.
According to a Village Green report, the ban - which is meant to address resident complaints of the noise pollution created by the blowers used by professional landscaping companies - is a pilot program that officials plan to assess at the end of the summer. It makes more stringent a previous township ordinance that only banned blowers above a certain decibel rating that was too difficult to enforce, the report says.
Residents and lawn care professionals were seen in a video of the May 17 committee meeting debating the pros and cons of a leaf blower ban.
"As a homeowner and a person who has physical disabilities, I have to employ groundskeepers...if you ban the leaf blowers it's going to require more time for those people to finish the job they are doing," resident Martin Youngberg told the council in the video.
"Who's going to be paying for that time? The homeowner."
Others said the town was overstepping its authority by implementing the ban.
Jody Shilan, the executive director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, which he said represents about 550 companies, also spoke, arguing that the resolution "unfairly" targeted the industry. He suggested, instead, limiting the time of day that the blowers could be used.
"The equipment is still necessary. People want our services; they want their properties kept pristine," he said.
But, other residents welcomed the ban, saying the blowers detract from their quality of life.
Tracey Woods told the council that she researched multiple other municipalities across the country that have enacted similar bans.
"This is not an unprecedented practice," she said, noting that other towns have reported positive results from the ban.
Others said they were in favor because losing the blowers means losing the particles that they blow into the atmosphere.
"At first I thought the issue was mainly noise," resident William Steinbraun says in the video, before arguing that leaf blowers are a health concern, blowing "particle matter" like allergens and dust into the air.
"There's a big impact on health."
In passing the ordinance, the committee emphasized that it was a temporary ban, and the issue will be addressed again at the end of the summer.
What do you think? Is banning leaf blowers over the summer a good idea? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.