The Snowmass Village Town Council took a step back from a potential ban on gas-powered leaf blowers this week, after hearing strong opposition from local landscapers.
That was a departure from their May 4 meeting, when the council applauded the efforts of a longtime resident who brought the proposal to the town.
But on Monday, landscaping companies were adamant that electric equipment is not advanced enough for commercial operations.
“It is just not economically viable to switch over to electric landscaping equipment,” said Kevin Von Ohlen, co-owner of Snowmass Lawn and Plant.
Von Ohlen said he moved to Snowmass in 1998 and bought the company with his business partner, Chad Simon, in 2016.
“The cost containment to switch a business such as mine would be very detrimental,” Von Ohlen said. “We're done. And then somebody else is going to come in.”
Simon also addressed the council, saying that it wouldn’t be feasible to clear leaves from large properties with battery-powered blowers.
“Guys coming back every couple hours just to switch batteries out, now we're just adding time to the day,” Simon said. “We have 161 lawns a week that we do between two crews — two crews of four. And to get that done in a week, I just don't know how we would do it with electric.”
Snowmass resident John Wilkinson originally brought his petition to restrict gas-powered lawn equipment to the town’s Environmental Advisory Board in July 2025.
After meeting with the town’s staff, he agreed to present his proposal to the council before attempting to get it on the November ballot. The draft ordinance was distilled to focus specifically on leaf blowers.
Wilkinson is concerned about how gas-powered leaf blowers contribute to climate change and poor air quality, in addition to noise pollution.
He cites California Air Resources Board data, which has found that an hour of operating a commercial leaf blower emits as much smog-forming pollution as driving 1,100 miles — roughly the distance from LA to Denver. The emissions include planet-warming carbon dioxide, fine particulates and a host of carcinogenic chemicals.
Communities around the country have begun to move away from gas-powered lawn equipment. California banned the sale of gas leaf blowers starting in 2024. Aspen and Carbondale restrict gas blowers, Colorado has seasonal restrictions on parts of the Front Range, and many other cities in the state offer incentives to switch to electric models.
But the Snowmass council was sympathetic to the concerns of local landscapers.
“I've heard enough that I don't think it really is viable for commercial operations to switch,” said councilmember Tom Fridstein.
The council broadly agreed they didn’t want to put a financial burden on local businesses, but councilor Cecily DeAngelo said that if they didn’t take action, a ballot measure could be “much more onerous” on those companies.
“I do think a lot of residents feel strongly about this, so I don't know which way it would go on the ballot, but I would love to try to get to somewhere on gas blowers,” DeAngelo said.
Wilkinson said he was open to compromising on the timing of implementation, but made it clear that he would appeal to the voters if no action was taken.
“Last year, when I put my first petition out there, I got 40 signatures within two days,” Wilkinson said. “And I'm convinced that if I had to go the petition route, which I will, that I could get 100 signatures, which is all I need to put it on the ballot.”
The council asked staff to bring back more data about the costs of an electric transition and how it has gone in other cities.
