Leaf blowers constantly keep my side windows and screens full of dust and pollutants. The idea that neighbors are willing to let their gardeners do this and then fight any regulation of blowers is very selfish. Take responsibility for your own actions. Additionally, the noise is horrendous. Owners should require their gardeners to use low volume electric blowers and only blow off hardscaping and lawns. Never blow the detritus on areas that are covered in dirt. Battery powered blowers are inexpensive, quiet, light, and are quick to recharge. I have one and it is fantastic.

Joe,

Perhaps you should use a leaf blower to clean out those screens!

Seriously though, no need to blow off lawns. Only hardscape. Why don't homeowners push back against inefficient and wasteful use of leaf blowers? Only necessary (and cost effective) to use on hardscapes. Hate to think we need to legislate another common sense solution. And one more thing, we don't need to clean hardscapes each week, every other week (or less depending on time of year) is more than adequate. If we all follow these common sense principles we would solve the problem.

PV Resident:

one would need to convince the gardeners that these folks employ, not to mention the folks that employ them and pay their bills. That's highly unlikely.

Menlo Voter is right. Landscapers and gardeners have their time scheduled according to their current tools, which doesn't include raking. If the clients want to pay more for the time it takes for raking, have at it, but there will still be push back from the gardening service owners.

Why is everyone so terrified of leaves? They are actually good for the garden. They support the growth and activity of the earthworms and other beneficial organisms in the soil, helping to prevent some plant disease and they act as mulch to hold in the moisture around plants in times of drought. When they break down they become compost.
The current drought has convinced many homeowners to let their lawns go brown and the city of Menlo Park offers generous financial assistance for eliminating the lawn and replacing it with drought tolerant plants.
My opinion is that the mow & blow & go practice is a dis service to homeowners and to the earth. What ever happened to horticultural education for gardeners?

I blow off the sidewalk on the side and front of my house occasionally because it is littered by the oak leaves that the city trees leave since they rarely trim them and keep all of them no matter the number that are crowded together. The city does not bother to have anyone keep our sidewalks clean because they have no staff anymore. Regulate the type of blowers used in MP but don't ban them completely. That will never fly. I use a battery operated one and it works just fine on driveways and sidewalks and is much quieter then gas.

I too find the noise and dust caused by loud gasoline leaf blowers offensive and / or annoying. I have always had gardeners who rake my gardens instead. It actually is so much nicer that way. I love the little patterns the rakes make. If it takes your gardeners a little extra time, so be it. Pay them whatever extra $ they deserve. Your neighbors will appreciate you, so much!

I don't mind the noise of my neighbors' leafblowers.... it's 15 minutes, once a week and I know it will be over soon.

All the barking and yapping of dogs in the neighborhood, from 6am to 11 pm, with no end in sight, is what really sets me off.

If you think leaf-blower noise is bad, think of the sound of rakes scratching the pavement! Yikes

It's time to completely ban leaf blowers in Menlo Park. Many other desirable communities have at least banned gas-powered leaf blowers and I consider Menlo Park behind the eight ball on this one. In the meantime, homeowners can require their gardeners not to use them. Give it a try and even if you have to pay a little more, it's the right thing to do. Nothing is free and if it is then it's probably at the expense of people, animals, habitat, health - yours and mine. None of us is paying the true cost of maintaining our lifestyles (I'm just as guilty as anyone). Someone or something else is suffering because of it. Paying those who service our homes and gardens a fair fee is a step toward paying that true cost and is the right thing to do.

Do you people remember what a BROOM looks like? I use mine quite frequently and it works remarkably well, and the same for my rake. No blower necessary.

BanLeafBlowers said: "Paying those who service our homes and gardens a fair fee is a step toward paying that true cost and is the right thing to do."

I would like to know your gardner. Every quote I've seen comes out to $25-$40/hour per person for landscaping services in Menlo Park. Mow and blow seems like a nice business for the owners, but surely not for the workers.

A simple ban on gas-powered leaf-blowers is flat-out silly. All is takes is a few trips through PA to see the absurdity of gardeners hauling gas-powered generators on wagons to power their legal (but equally noisy and dusty) electric leaf-blowers.

The real concerns of noise, dust/dirt, and pollutant levels need be addressed.

Leaf blowers? I can't hear them over the roar of planes.

we try to go for our daily walk and all we see is leaf blowers and smokers--both are MAJOR polluters to our environment and to anyone nearby. global warming--ban both.

Good discussion topic.

Please remember that leaf blowers can be used for some tasks that are not easily accomplished by rakes and brooms, i.e. blowing leaves out of roof gutters. Hopefully we will get enough rain this winter that having clean gutters will be important.

What surprises me very much is the support that people have for leaf blowers. Many of my neighbors have young children. Many hire nannies for their infants. Every day I see nannies pushing baby carriages in the same neighborhood where gardeners are blowing millions of dust particles around (from both hardscape and landscape surfaces). Some of the older children walk or ride bikes to school. I really would think that parents with at-home children would be concerned about having their kids exposed to the noise and pollutants and dirt particles blowing invisibly for hours and hours in the air.

For anyone that has outside pets, they are very susceptible to these invisible pollutants. People in my neighborhood spend so much money on the care of the family and pets, it just surprises me that some people either overlook or do not care about this invisible pollution.

Another concern about blowers is that their usage impacts beyond one’s property lines. Neighbors are exposed to the pollution and noise, without any say in the matter. When someone’s polluting activities impinge on someone else’s health and enjoyment of their property, why should the polluter’s position prevail?

Finally, the gardeners themselves. I am concerned for their health. A few may wear protective masks and earplugs, but I doubt that that is very effective overall. They are outdoors in our neighborhoods all week long, subject to these unhealthy conditions. I personally do not want to support a practice that is harmful to someone else.

Ultimately, it is up to us who live in our communities to decide what kind of environment we want to live in. Quiet and healthy neighborhood, maybe pay a little extra money each month to our gardeners, or if we do our own gardening, spend a little extra time using a rake or broom? Or, save a few bucks, and expose ourselves, our families, our pets, our visitors, our service workers, our neighbors, etc. to loud noises and invisible pollutants.

What kind of community do you want to live in?

Don't forget the huge discount the lawn services made in your contracts when they first adopted the use of leaf blowers. You want to go back to paying the amount you paid before leaf blowers came along??
Wait, what? You say there was no change in price when leaf blowers were adopted? Then logically there wouldn't be any change in price if they stopped using leaf blowers...

An outright ban on leaf blowers is ridiculous! What's next are you gonna tell roofers they can't use nail guns, contractors they can't use jackhammers?
By banning blowers rates on larger properties would drastically increase, you gonna rake and sweep quarter mile long driveways in Atherton and Woodside? Even tho Palo Alto has a ban on them I still see city employes and companies they contract to using them in parks, why do you think that is? Cause it's cost effective!

I know, why don't we ban aircraft noise, barking/yapping dogs, smokers, construction equipment and every other thing that causes noise and pollution (traffic on 101 and Willow Road). Leaf blower noise/pollution is a small part of the noise and pollution distractions!

Are Menlo residents really so picky about their respiratory health and their children's that they're going to risk displeasing their gardeners again?

Blowing dust around and causing noise pollution is not really gardening

What if the city purchased the new electric or battery leaf blowers, and asked the gardeners to trade their old one in for a new model as an incentive?
C'mon people, why are you expecting the poor gardeners to fork over the expense of a new leaf blower, or to rake leaves when you don't pay them well? This is their livelihood you are bickering about, and the ability to go quickly from one "mow & blow" job to the next to cover more territory.

If you cannot afford to pay your gardener to keep the air clean, perhaps you are living above your means and should seriously consider relocating.

we still have no idea what it is that leaf blowers actually accomplish---- blow my debris into the street and leave it there or better yet into my neighbor's yard. that is all it accomplishes--how many leaf blowers actually pick up the debris and haul it off? NONE!!! more fun to leave it in my neighbor's yard. we get a real kick out of getting all of our debris onto their property. LOTS OF FUN!!

I live in an Atlanta suburb, not California. But I need to vent. My house sits next to 5 acres of woods, which is the main reason I bought this house. It is surrounded by nature. No exaggeration... EVERY DAYLIGHT HOUR OF EVERY SINGLE DAY there is leaf blower noise in the air from a landscape service attending one of approximately 80 houses within earshot. The sound of crickets, hawks, owls, the wind through the trees, the small waterfall in the creek next to my house - every thing natural - is interrupted all day, every day, at any time. It is a despicable, complete, and constant violation of our right to peace and quiet. Again - no exaggeration - 16 of 19 people I've casually polled around town used the word "hate" when I asked if they notice leaf blowers or their noise. Instead of just venting on this site and seeming like a lone dissenter in a state that currently lacks a single leaf blower restriction, is there strong and non-political evidence, support, reports to take to the citizens and city council to start to get signatures and change things here? Seems like the people hate it but nobody has stepped up yet. Need supporting arguments. Thank you.