Are the droning sounds of leaf blowers ruining your bucolic suburban lifestyle?
Maplewood code enforcement officials are here to help.
According to Township Committeewoman India Larrier, officials are going to be checking the leaf blowers of commercial landscapers in town starting on May 1 (after spring rake-outs should be completed).
That’s the day when leaf blowers above the decibel rating of 65 are disallowed in town. Per ordinance # 2214 -03:
(a) Use of leaf blowers with a decibel rating of greater than 65 dB(a) by commercial lawn maintenance businesses shall be prohibited between the dates of May 1st thru October 15th of each year;
Of course, there are residents who’d like to see the “a complete ban of gas-powered leaf blowers from June to September,” including Carrie Gordon who spoke at the April 5 Township Committee meeting, saying that the current ordinance is not followed.
The crackdown on leaf blowers goes hand in hand with a stepped-up effort to ensure that all landscapers in town are registered with the town. As per the Spring 2016 Maplewood Leaflet:
Commercial lawn maintenance businesses must register with the Township’s Public Works Department by March 1st. There is a $50 registration fee per business and a fee of $50 per truck used to haul leaves shall be charged. Each registered truck shall post a sticker on the front driver side panel of the truck. The landscaper must list the types of leaf blowers used. Landscapers are prohibited from using leaf blowers with a decibel rating of greater than 65 dB(a) between May 1st through October 15th.
The leaflet notes that landscapers that are not registered will face fines. Find a list of registered landscaper in the Leaflet here.
At the April 19 Township Committee meeting, Larrier noted that “at this point our code officials are going out with a list and will tell those not registered to cease and desist.”
Deputy Mayor Nancy Adams said she had “turned in about 20” unregistered landscapers so far this spring, adding, “I sent 2 in this morning!”
