Letter to the City of Greenville SC Parks Department About Noise Pollution
Letter to the City of Greenville SC Parks Department
By Dom Nozzi
January 8, 2024
Greetings,
I am a resident of Greenville and a former senior planner for a city in Florida.
One of my tasks in that work was preparing city park plans. Another was writing the city noise ordinance.
The City of Greenville has poured an enormous amount of money into Unity Park. I am staggered by the impressive array of facilities at the park, and the popularity of the park.
I am, however, irritated that frequently when I pass through the park my experience is ruined by the frequent use of leaf blowers.
This is unacceptable and inexcusable.
The sounds of an active city park such as Unity should be the laughter of children and the shouts of people playing. And for a park this large, there should also be pockets of peaceful, quiet refuge from the hustle and bustle and mechanical noises of life in a city.
Leaf blowers in city parks shatter that extremely important ambiance. They create stress and headaches and ear damage to park users, and harm the ability of people to enjoy the park.
Indeed, we can be sure that many are so bothered by the blowers that they no longer go to the park.
Greenville already suffers from a severe citywide leaf blower noise pollution problem (not to mention the extreme overuse of emergency vehicle sirens in the city).
It is outrageous that city parks in Greenville contribute to that dreadful problem.
And doing so at taxpayer expense.
It is now well documented that noise pollution – a problem that has grown worse each year for many decades -- leads to several physical and psychological problems for a large and growing number of people. The US EPA cites stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity.
For these and other reasons, a large and growing number of US cities – including DC, Miami, and soon Portland, Seattle, and the entire state of California -- have prohibited or will prohibit gas-powered leaf blowers. It is far past time for Greenville to join that list.
The pleasing sounds of a city park – which is an essential component of a park – should not take a back seat to compulsive, mechanized leaf removal.
If the City is convinced that obsessive leaf removal IS more important than the sounds of a park – and I am appalled if that be the case – the City should address unemployment woes for low-skill residents by hiring people to rake and broom leaves.
Remember leaf raking and brooming?
In my many visits to advanced, sophisticated European cities, I regularly notice brooms used to sweep leaves rather than blowers. This is probably a reason why Europe is experiencing less of an obesity problem than the US.
Note that the Swamp Rabbit Trail is perfectly usable and attractive without blowers.
We put a lot of money into Unity Park. Let’s not waste that money. Unity must offer the sounds of a park. Not the high-pitched roar of engines.
For a Better Greenville,
Dominic Nozzi