Group Pushes To Overturn Arlington Leaf Blower Ban
ARLINGTON (CBS) - The battle to ban gas-powered leaf blowers for five months out of the year in Arlington seems far from over, despite last week's town meeting vote to pass the new bylaw.
The Attorney General still needs to approve the new bylaw and it likely wouldn't go into effect until next Spring.
But already, a group of residents say they aren't about to wait around to see that happen.
Several local landscapers, including Joe Cusce of Black Diamond Landscapes are leading the charge to overturn the bylaw.
"It didn't pass by much. But there wasn't enough opposition to turn down the vote," Cusce said. "That's why we have taken efforts to call for a special election in town and allow the voters of the town to decide what they want to do."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports
Podcast
The group delivered more than 1200 signatures to Town Hall calling for a special election.
Once the town certifies at least 840 of those signatures, a special election is triggered.
Cusce says overturning the bylaw would save homeowners time and money.
"If we had to still rake everything, it would be unreasonable. It wouldn't work," he said.
In order for the bylaw to come off the books, 20 percent of residents would need to show up to vote in that special election and a majority of them would have to vote to overturn it.
