About QCW
Quiet Clean Winchester
We are Winchester residents, elected officials, faith communities, environmental advocacy groups, and Winchester-based businesses working for a quieter, cleaner town. Through resident education and promotion of landscapers that are incorporating electric leaf blowers in their lawn care services, we are supporting the transition to quiet clean electric lawn care.
Gas Leaf Blower Bylaw Activity in Eastern Mass.
Many of Winchester’s neighboring communities already have bylaws in place that restrict the use of gas leaf blowers including Lincoln, Lexington, Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge and Newton. In Spring 2023, Concord, Marblehead and Swampscott all adopted bylaws that restrict the use of GLBs.
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In fact, Lexington, Arlington, Belmont and Concord now have not only seasonal limits on gas leaf blowers, these towns have also set the date for the permanent phase out of gas leaf blowers in town.
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Many other towns are actively working on town bylaws including Medford, Reading, Wellesley and the City of Boston. In fact, three of the five towns that border Winchester have already restricted gas leaf blowers or are working on bylaws to do so.
Winchester Leaf Blower Bylaw Status
The Leaf Blower Bylaw was debated at 2022 Fall Town Meeting. Town Meeting voted on Nov. 18 for indefinite postponement.
There is no leaf blower bylaw on the Fall 2023 Town Meeting warrant.
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The bylaw debated at Town Meeting in 2022 specified:
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ELBs - Allowed by all users year-round: on Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as allowed by state law
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GLBs – Allowed by all users during Shoulder Seasons, defined as April 1-May 15 and Oct. 1-Dec. 15 , on Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as allowed by state law.
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Registration for Commercial Leaf Blower Operators - Annual registration required for a low fee
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Enforcement - Police department; Two warnings issued first then fines.
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Application - Applies to town residents, commercial leaf blower operators, and DPW municipal employees / contractors
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Effective date - June 1, 2023
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The bylaw was Article 6 in the Fall 2022 Town Meeting Motion book, here.