Less than a week after it was proposed, a motion to discuss a curfew on gas-powered lawn equipment has been pulled back by the London, Ont., councillor who suggested it.
In a statement posted to social media Saturday, Ward 11 Coun. Skylar Franke said she would be withdrawing the motion from the June 4 council meeting.
“I originally brought forward this motion based on resident feedback that gas equipment was too loud and regarding concerns about the environmental impacts of the equipment,” the statement reads. “After listening to your feedback, it has become clear that the initially proposed time restriction from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM for gas equipment is too limiting for many of our residents.”
The motion was to hold a public meeting on the idea of a curfew from 6 p.m. to a.m., sometime in July.
The current sound bylaw prohibits the use of all lawnmowers, chain saws and leaf blowers from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., except for Sunday when the prohibition lasts until 9 a.m.
“The intent of this motion was to reduce noise and emissions for the benefit of our community, but I understand that these restrictions could pose significant challenges for those with busy schedules and for local lawn care businesses,” Franke said.
The motion caused immediate pushback from the community, and in a rare move, Mayor Josh Morgan took to social media Thursday to publicly say he would be voting against the motion.
“We have far more pressing issues to deal with,” Morgan posted to X (formerly Twitter) on May 23. “The message I’ve heard most from Londoners is one I agree with wholeheartedly: ‘get off my lawn.’”
Ending the statement, Franke thanked Londoners for the feedback, and encouraged the public to continue to share their thoughts on motions before council.
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