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Leaf Blower Noise
updated: Aug 08, 2012, 2:12 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

What it's a kind, effective way to ask the neighbor's gardeners not to use the gas powered leaf blowers on highest speed/volume ?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 305913	2012-08-08 02:13 PM
u cant cause its not against the law
COMMENT 305916	2012-08-08 02:18 PM
Take a deep breath, relax. "Problem" solved
COMMENT 305917P	2012-08-08 02:19 PM
Are you in the City of SB? If so, gas-powered leaf blowers are ILLEGAL: http://www.sbcapcd.org/sbc/leafblowers.htm
COMMENT 305920	2012-08-08 02:22 PM
actually the City passed a law banning gas powered leaf blowers some years ago. Ashley Brilliant led the charge on this. It is rarely enforced, but if you live in the City and your neighbors don't respond to a polite request to tone it down, then you at least have the law on your side for what you want to do next. If you are in the County, all you can do is ask politely. Or bust them if they are doing it before 7am. There is a noise ordinance that might apply but the standard is that the noise has to be out of character for the neighborhood.
COMMENT 305926P	2012-08-08 02:28 PM
It wasn't passed by the city, it was a voter proposition put forth by Ashleigh. Approach the gardener with a bottle of water and ask him.
COMMENT 305934	2012-08-08 02:39 PM
I like 926's approach. If it's a gas-powered blower, you are in SB, and the gardener doesn't respond to your polite request, then maybe go to that link & get the city involved. But definitely ask the guy first.
DILLYDALLY	2012-08-08 03:11 PM
And dont assume the homeowner knows this is a problem that is bothering you. Most people that hire gardeners work and are not home while the yard is being serviced. I wouldn't even be able to tell you how many of my neighbors are home during the day, I would assume not many but maybe I am wrong.
COMMENT 305957	2012-08-08 03:15 PM
You should $pAY$ for the extra time it takes to rake.
DILLYDALLY	2012-08-08 03:16 PM
Just read my post and realized it sounded kind of harsh. I was trying to be helpful not critical. Let me try that again. If the people who hired the gardener aren't home when he works maybe they dont realize how loud it is or that he is in violation of city ordinance (or that you are bothered). You can ask them to relay the message that he should turn it down or use an electric blower.
COMMENT 305962	2012-08-08 03:27 PM
I think there should be a way to file against the company with the blower. All gardeners know the law in SB. They just choose to ignore it. If they were fined then the problem would go away. When we hire a gardener we assume that they know what they are doing. They are the ones making the money by using the blowers. I have had no luck with the ones next door. I have to make the windows are closed or I come home to the order of gas in my home.
COMMENT 305972P	2012-08-08 03:36 PM
OP- owners of the property are out of town. The gardeners are quiet, ok, the gas leafed leaf blower was r-e-a-l-l-y loud though, close to my house in the city of SB.
COMMENT 305977P	2012-08-08 03:42 PM
The gardeners that take care of the lot by my gym on upper State use gas blowers all the time. They sometimes turn it in a different direction when I walk by but the whole lot smells for awhile even after they stop using them.
COMMENT 305980	2012-08-08 03:46 PM
Offer to pay for the extra time and cost of using another method, or take that same amount of money and buy some nice noise-canceling headphones.
COMMENT 305984	2012-08-08 03:54 PM
Git two of the biggest leaf blowers you can find and with one in each hand and yer 10 gallon hat on, face em down. Out blow em and show em who owns the corral.
COMMENT 306005P	2012-08-08 04:46 PM
Yeah! Show em who owns the corral!
D8VANILLA	2012-08-08 05:01 PM
Thankyou Ashleigh Brillant for getting that law passed. There are a few exceptions, but I doubt if that gardner qualifies for the exception.
COMMENT 306024	2012-08-08 05:09 PM
The city is derelict in their duty to uphold a law that was passed by a majority vote of the citizens of Santa Barbara. Gas powered leaf blowers are used all over town, and no one in city government does anything about it.
COMMENT 306028P	2012-08-08 05:13 PM
I've had amazing luck with being polite and talking to people. That should always be your first resolution to any problem. "Hi. I'm a neighbor. Your blower is really loud in my home. Is it possible that you could use it at a slightly lower setting so that I'm not as overwhelmed by the noise?" Give that a try first please.
COMMENT 306065	2012-08-08 07:14 PM
Somewhere between 028 and 064 should do the trick. But to be honest 064 might have a longer lasting effect.
COMMENT 306093	2012-08-08 08:39 PM
I had NO IDEA there was so much ignorance out there re: gasoline leaf blower use in SB City. Illegal since Nov. 1997. Fine is now a whopping $500. More for 2nd offense. NO special dispensation for companies, either. Call 897-2410. Tell "Dispatch" to send out an officer. If you are willing to sign the citation, have your i.d. ready. Be ready to describe user. I have busted 30+ of these illegal users. Only had to go to court once, and won. These blow & go guys all KNOW the use is illegal in the City. All you have to do is tell them you will call next time you hear them start it up. I have given plenty of warnings. The fine gets the job done. These machines are polluting and unnecessary. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Electric is still okay: NOT before 9am or after 5pm. NEVER on Sunday or any National Holiday. If more people would man-up and call in illegal use, the problem would go away double-quick.
COMMENT 306144	2012-08-09 07:10 AM
093 is right, it is illegal and they will enforce. But NOT so with the gas powered hedge trimmers, sadly those are still legal.
COMMENT 306148	2012-08-09 07:20 AM
Remember to ask for ID from the gardener. The leaf blower might not be the only 'illegal issue.
8111989	2012-08-09 07:49 AM
I thought of asking all the neighbors on my street to pick a single morning to allow these noisy machines to blow (also lawn mowers, power tree-trimmers, deck sanders), so I can go for a walk on the Wilcox and not have to endure the ear-piercing, highly annoying blast of their machines. Every day, even Saturday, some crew comes in and violates the otherwise peaceful air with their noise pollution. Yesterday, we had it in stereo, on one side a bulldozer prepping for a new driveway and hedge trimmers on the other. Makes me crazy. (I work mostly at home.)
CORKY	2012-08-09 08:37 AM
Thank goodness I installed the new windows/sliding door. I can shut most of the annoying noise out.
COMMENT 306220	2012-08-09 09:01 AM
Here is the answer to your question although I do have to say it saddens me that there seems to be such a disconnect in Santa Barbara neighborhoods now. The days are gone when one could have a civil conversation with a neighbor about a problem. Best of luck. Under the City of Santa Barbara's Municipal Code (9.16.020-021), it is illegal to use gasoline-powered leaf blowers in the City of Santa Barbara at any time. Individuals affected by the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers within Santa Barbara city limits may contact the City Police Department at 897-2410. Outside the City of Santa Barbara, gasoline-powered leaf blowers are allowed to be used. Individuals affected by dust or pollution resulting from leaf blowers may call the District at 961-8800 to make a complaint. (Visit our complaints process web page to learn more.)
COMMENT 306223	2012-08-09 09:07 AM
Blowers Blow! They blow my neighbors debris into my yard! They start up at 8 am every Saturday! I wish they would all be outlawed. Or better, imploded...
COMMENT 306230P	2012-08-09 09:19 AM
Read 6093's accurate info and good advice. It should be published in the New Press and The Independent. I ask the gardeners and mgmt of a neighbor condo complex to refrain from using noisy gas blowers almost all day once day a week. Received only shrugs and scoffing. The Police took care of it. Rakes and electric are here! Pass along this information and stand up and do something instead of just griping!
COMMENT 306308	2012-08-09 11:17 AM
306220 has it right. There is a City Ordinance about use of leaf blowers. It prohibits gas powered blowers within City limits, but not electric ones. Asheligh Brilliant was going to put the issue on the ballot but reached an agreement that led to adoption of this Ordinance back in 1990 or so. There is no corresponding County law, but general nuisance law and the obligation to protect public health could be used if there is a big problem. It is true that the City ordinance is not usually enforced when no one complains. If a complaint is filed, usually a Notice of Violation or other communication is sent to the offender. If it continues, a citation can be issued. Our Police Department, understandably, does not consider this to be top priority, like barking dogs, etc. but will act when the violation is habitual. The best course is to advise the offender of the law and of its rationale, which is noise and particulate air pollution which can be dangerous to asthmatics etc. Let them know that the blower is bothering you. Don't threaten, but ask that they comply. If they don't, file a complaint with the City at the number provided.
COMMENT 306314	2012-08-09 11:20 AM
Electric blowers are the way to go, I live in Montecito and am annoyed at the persistent use of gas blowers. ALL places should ban the gas blowers. Montecito Planning Commission-Can you Help?
COMMENT 306340	2012-08-09 12:04 PM
One more thing no one has mentioned yet. I spoke with a watch commander at SBPD a couple of years ago about this, and he said they are fine with citing anyone using a gas-powered leaf blower in the city. He also said that the following usually happens next: the gardener has no ID, so the officer has trouble issuing a citation. When the gardener gives his name, it may be wrong but usually no one shows up in court to either pay the fine or contest the ticket. So there is a potential illegal worker problem here too. Based on what he said, I am inclined to believe that most gardeners do NOT actually know about this law, and if you tell them they may have a lot of trouble obeying because they have invested a lot of money (for them) into buying this work tool for their business and hey everybody else is using them here anyway! I think everyone should put pressure on the homeowners who hire these workers, they are the ones who can effectively apply pressure here.
COMMENT 306367	2012-08-09 12:48 PM
@305913 Maybe it's me who is stupid, but I don't understand how the fact (which it isn't) that something isn't illegal makes it impossible to politely ask someone not to do it.
COMMENT 306371	2012-08-09 12:56 PM
Those 2-stroke engines are the worst polluters ! Much worse than any vehicle. I unfortunately live in a part of town (near YMCA) and due to the density of housing here, the sound of loud power tools is an ongoing daily (even Sunday) harsh reality. Yes, I've asked nicely and yes, I've complained to the city & homeowner associations but the reality is that there is no real enforcement. And this is one of the reasons we become a society of people who shut themselves up in there houses and look at screens and don't know our neighbors anymore :(
COMMENT 306648	2012-08-10 07:02 AM
Okay. I am going to go over this one more time. Landecker is incorrect. The voters passed the ordinance in Nov. '97. They are not "gas" blowers, they are "gasoline." They have no catalytic converter, and oil must be added to the gasoline (2-stroke engine). Google to see how polluting these machines are. A real eye-opener. The yard workers (hardly "gardeners") ALL KNOW use is illegal. Call 897-2410. Tell "Dispatch" to send officer. There are no exceptions for anyone using these machines in City. Tree trimmers and some big garden service companies are worst offenders. Do not hesitate to defend your clean air and rid yourself of noise pollution. It is very empowering to sign that citation. You can bet you are not the only one around who wants the noise and dirt blowing to stop.

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