Quiet Clean Lexington

Noise Reduction Bylaw Prevails

Thank you!

What Does Article 10 (Reducing Noise from Landscape Maintenance Equipment) Do?

Article 10, passed overwhelming by Town Meeting on November 18, 2021 and affirmed by Lexington residents in a referendum on March 7, 2022, adds several provisions to the Town’s existing Noise Bylaw.

1. Allowed hours for the use of all motorized landscape maintenance equipment have been reduced

• Under prior law:

o Residents: Monday through Sunday, 7 AM to 9 PM

o Landscapers: Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 9 PM

• Under the new Bylaw:

o Residents: Weekdays, 7 AM to 8 PM, Weekends and legal holidays, 9 AM to 5 PM

o Landscapers: Weekdays, 7 AM to 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM

2. Temporary seasonal restrictions are imposed on gas-powered leaf blowers.

• Effective May 22, 2022, GLB use by any user is limited to the following designated fall and spring cleanup periods:

o Spring: March 15 to May 31

o Fall: September 15 to December 30

3. The use of gas-powered leaf blowers is phased out

• Effective March 15, 2025, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by commercial landscapers will not be allowed. An exemption allows the continued use of wheeled leaf blowers powered by four-stroke engines on lots larger than 1 acre.

• Residents will be allowed to use GLBs on their own property until March 15, 2026.

4. Responsibility and Penalties

• Both the operator and the homeowner may be fined up to $50 for the first violation, $100 for the second violation, and $200 for each subsequent violation. These penalties are consistent with other town bylaws.

YES on Question 1 prevailed in the March 7, 2022 Town Election

This result would never have happened without your support, hard work, contributions, and most importantly, your vote. As our community transitions away from gas-powered leaf blowers, we can look forward to quieter, cleaner landscaping for the health and safety of all.

Thank you.

--The Quiet Clean Lexington Campaign

If you’d like to take further action on this issue: There’s Bill H.868 in the state legislature sponsored by State Representative Michelle Ciccolo that was recently voted favorably out of committee. It would establish incentive funding for municipalities to transition their landscaping fleets to low noise, low emissions equipment, and make possible a zero-interest loan program for private landscape companies to do the same.

We can help move the bill along by:

  • Expressing our support for it to Rep. Ciccolo, michelle.ciccolo@mahouse.gov

  • Asking State Senator Cindy Friedman to file in the Senate companion legislation to H.868 An Act to Establish a Grant Program for Low Noise, Low Emissions Landscape Equipment, cindy.friedman@masenate.gov

Thank you for caring about all the people who live and work in Lexington!