September 1, 2004
TO: Board of Selectmen (Billings, Mattes, Taylor)
RE: “Landscaping” companies operating in Lincoln
On August 11th, I wrote my first letter of official complaint in 25 years of living in Lincoln, and a request that it be considered seriously by the Board (copy attached).
The issue is noise – extreme noise.
Again, today, the same landscape company appeared on the neighboring property. My request two weeks ago that a faulty leaf blower not be used due to excessively high noise was acknowledged by the landscaper. The same equipment reappeared today.
I requested again that it not be used and told the landscaper that I would call in a complaint to the police department. Officer Moran arrived soon after and while helpful and courteous in addressing the issue confirmed that there is no enforceable noise regulation during daylight hours.
This issue raises the question too of the air pollution effect of small equipment – especially leaf blowers* – and the need to address this problem, too. I would like to reiterate my request that the Board of Selectmen open discussion of the passing of an enforceable daytime noise regulation or outright ban of leafblowers. The attached background information should provide you with sufficient evidence to initiate a substantive discussion in the Town of Lincoln.
Respectfully yours,
cc. Officer Moran (Lincoln Police)
* The use of blowers is currently illegal in 20 major California cities Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Lomita, Santa Monica, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Claremont, South Pasadena and Santa Barbara [and an estimated 300 other cities across the nation], for one simple reason: they are hazardous to our health. Residents of Santa Barbara, California, fought leafblower noise for fifteen years before citizens recently voted to ban leafblowers.