No matter the time of year, leaf blowers make being outside unpleasant. Which is why an East Hampton Village plan to extend the dates during which gas-powered blowers are banned is missing a larger point.
Under a proposed code revision, blowers powered by polluting fossil fuels could only be used legally between Nov. 1 and April 30. This would provide several more weeks’ protection for the ears of seasonal residents, sure, but not as much for those who live here year round.
It is almost never just one blower. In areas with house lots close together, the sound can come from several directions at once. And often, as soon as a crew finishes on a neighboring lot, another starts up nearby. One feels surrounded.
Reporting a violation could be made easier. In East Hampton Village, enforcing noise laws is the job of the police. But there are many people who think calling law enforcement on a landscaper is overkill, and police have more important safety issues to tend to most of the time, anyway.
The village website is of little help to the average person — there is no obvious mention of how to make a report, and clicking on “Noise Complaint” on the homepage takes you to an off-putting police page where the most prominent information is about its use-of-force policy. (For the record, the nonemergency number for East Hampton Village Police is 631-324-0777; a dispatcher will answer.)
Perhaps the village could set up a separate 311 phone system to which nonemergency calls could be made. Putting a form front and center on the village website for service requests and reporting violations would also help. Yes, there is an app for that; several companies provide smartphone complaint services to local governments for a fee.
It is also worth paying attention to Southampton Village, where a year-round ban on gas blowers has been in place since 2024. There, village officials realized that people like to be outdoors on their properties no matter the season — or simply keep their windows open — without having their peace spoiled.
Landscapers would be well advised to pay attention to which way the wind is blowing and begin the transition to electric now.