Good evening,
Last week, we learned that Rehoboth Beach wants quieter mornings and early evenings, at least when it comes to outdoor power equipment.
The Cape Gazette reported that the proposed ordinance would phase out the use of gas-powered line trimmers, chainsaws leaf blowers, and even mowers by residents and commercial landscapers.
It goes a step beyond a phase-out in nearby Lewes that exempts gas-powered mowers.
Driving the proposed ordinance are improvements in battery technology and evidence that outdoor power equipment is a major source of pollution.
Noise is another issue as many busy people opt for a lawn service. The result is a lot of noise. In our Bear-Glasgow neighborhood, one service drops by on an early Saturday night and ups the decibel level with machines mowing at top speed.
Meanwhile, prices of battery-powered equipment have dropped.
The cost of an electric push mower for a smaller lawn is moving within striking range of a higher-quality gas-powered model, minus the trips with the red can to the gas station, oil changes, etc. Companies like Toro and Makita are pitching using interchangeable batteries for mowers, chainsaws etc. as a way to lure customers.
Commercial equipment and riding mowers are another story, due to higher initial costs and the limits of rechargeable batteries.
But don’t be surprised if your green-minded neighbor crunches the numbers and shells out the extra funds.
As for Sussex, don’t expect electric mandates to make their way past the beach.
Should that plan surface, the public hearing would come with a packed house of greenies and climate change deniers. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
