P.V. Estates : City Bans Leaf Blowers

The City Council Tuesday banned the use of motorized leaf blowers within city limits and ordered staff to design a procedure to enforce the ban, which becomes effective in 30 days.

Ignoring the appeals of members of several Southern California gardeners’ associations, who said the ban would hurt the gardening business, the council agreed that leaf blowers present a hazard to the health of residents because they are noisy and pollute the atmosphere with exhaust fumes, dust and pollen.

In banning the blowers, Palos Verdes Estates joins Lomita, Beverly Hills and Carmel, which have adopted similar ordinances. Santa Monica and Redondo Beach have ordinances that restrict the hours when leaf blowers can be used.

“The type of community we live in, I think it’s time to take a stand and eliminate blowers completely,” said Councilman Ronald Florance, who suffers from allergies that he believes are aggravated by the dust and pollen blown into the air by blowers. Florance said he had persuaded his gardeners to abandon the use of leaf blowers at his residence in favor of a broom.

Mayor Edward Ritscher said the ban might force industry to develop a quiet machine that vacuums rather than blows debris from one location to another.

Councilwoman Barbara Culver cast the sole vote against the measure. Culver was concerned about the need to conserve water, which she said homeowners would use instead of leaf blowers to clean their walks and driveways.