550 replies to this topic

[todd]

I'm going to write to Ben and ask for him to push for a ban on fossil fuel powered leaf blowers

 

There was a city worker using an electric backpack one this morning in Centennial and admittedly it worked pretty poorly.

 

The plug in ones aren't too bad though.

 

 

 

Electric does not necessarily equal lower decibels, especially when you match power.

[todd]

Victoria

 

Leaf blowers 17 Despite any other provision of this Bylaw, a person may operate a leaf blower in or adjacent to a residential area, or a mixed residential and commercial area, if (a) the equivalent sound level does not exceed 65 dBA on an approved sound meter when received at the greater of the following distances from that leaf blower: (i) the point of reception; (ii) 15.2 m; and (b) the person operates the leaf blower (i) between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on a weekday, or (ii) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday http://www.victoria....ylaw-03-012.pdf Exemptions specified: the City’s Parks Division maintenance work between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on any day; ----- the nightly cleaning of streets and sidewalks and the collection of garbage from sidewalk refuse bins within the downtown core area by the City’s Public Works staff; ----- the noon cannon at Laurel Point; ....................

Oak Bay (5) (a) on Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, the operation of a leaf blower at a time outside the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; (b) from Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, the operation of a leaf blower at a time outside the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. https://www.oakbay.c...bylaws/3210.pdf Between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on any day, Section 4(5) shall not apply to the operation of a leaf blower by municipal crews acting in the course of their employment or engagement by The Corporation, nor to the operation of a leaf blower on the lands shown in bold outline on Schedule “A” attached to this Bylaw................

Edited by todd, 28 September 2016 - 10:40 AM.

[nagel]

I'm pretty sure Ben was more concerned with the marine diesel and/or gasoline in the lake as opposed to the noise.

 

I'm not saying I'm for or against a ban but it's pretty disgusting when you're going to swim in a lake and you can see the film on top of the entire lake.

[Rob Randall]

Exemptions...

 

So if I were to fire the Laurel Point Cannon at the leaf blowers that would be permitted under the bylaw.

[jonny]

Gasoline and diesel both evaporate very quickly.

[todd]

Exemptions...

 

So if I were to fire the Laurel Point Cannon at the leaf blowers that would be permitted under the bylaw.

 

Yes.

[Mike K.]

Hmm, well there you have it. I had no idea City crews were allowed to operate as early as 6AM.

[todd]

Hmm, well there you have it. I had no idea City crews were allowed to operate as early as 6AM.

 

That necessary?

 

 

Hmm, well there you have it. I had no idea City crews were allowed to operate as early as 6AM.

 

Looks like by my interpretation of the bylaw in the City of Victoria city public work crews can use leaf blowers at 3:00am or any time on city streets, and at any decibel.

Edited by todd, 29 September 2016 - 10:58 AM.

[VicHockeyFan]

Colwood homeowners living ‘in a war zone,’ blame blasting

 

 

Colwood resident Sue Courey points to a crack in her living-room wall that stretches up toward the ceiling.

 

It first appeared as a 20-centimetre vein in her Coleman Place home, after blasting began nearby one and a half years ago.

 

Since then, the crack has quadrupled in size.

 

She also points to window panes that have dropped a centimetre in their frames, jammed doors and a crack in her foundation. They’re evidence, she said, that continued rock blasting on nearby Latoria Road is damaging homes such as hers, which is only four years old.

 

“It’s like living in a war zone,” Courey said.

 

 

She has an 80cm crack in her wall.

 

This is Aleppo:

 

 

I suggest she tones down her "war zone" remarks.

 

Serious first-world problems syndrome.

[sebberry]

The neighbours have approached the city, but were told it’s not the city’s responsibility to monitor work sites.

 

Perhaps that's the case, but if you were building a deck and a neighbour complained about it to the city, the city would be all over you.

 

They have begun the insurance-claim process, but say they fear longer-term effects, such as their insurance rates going up and housing prices going down.

 

Why would the homeowner's insurance rate go up?  Shouldn't their insurer be seeking to recover the damages from the blaster/developers?

[todd]

 

 

 

I suggest she tones down her "war zone" remarks.

 

 

Maybe planning a counter strike.

[LJ]

Perhaps that's the case, but if you were building a deck and a neighbour complained about it to the city, the city would be all over you.

 

 

 

Why would the homeowner's insurance rate go up?  Shouldn't their insurer be seeking to recover the damages from the blaster/developers?

The blasting company has insurance, that's who will pay for it, it won't affect her rates at all.

In most muni's before any blasting occurs near a built up area all the homeowners and businesses in the affected area get a letter notifying them of the blasting and an insurance adjuster comes around to take pictures of your home before the blasting in order to verify any subsequent damage that may occur.

[Mike K.]

I've received notices before but nobody has ever knocked on the door to assess the condition of the building. Is this something Langford requires, perhaps?

[Bingo]

If you buy a house on the side of a mountain, that rock probably needed to be blasted out for your foundation.

And if the surrounding area is a rock pile that is still being developed using even more blasting, it should be of no surprise that in the process your walls are cracking.

A bit of buyer beware.

 

[LJ]

I've received notices before but nobody has ever knocked on the door to assess the condition of the building. Is this something Langford requires, perhaps?

It is most definitely something Langford requires. We have some blasting going to take place in our vicinity and the insurance company spent over an hour with us taking pictures etc. 

[Mike K.]

Oh wow. That's not a bad idea.

[Mike K.]

Can we definitively confirm when private property owners are allowed to start using leaf blowers in the City of Victoria?

[Bingo]

Can we definitively confirm when private property owners are allowed to start using leaf blowers in the City of Victoria?

Are you suggesting they have a protest blow in at City Hall?

[sebberry]

Can we definitively confirm when private property owners are allowed to start using leaf blowers in the City of Victoria?

 

[todd]

Are you suggesting they have a protest blow in at City Hall?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE89Js_DPDw