Board tables request for commercial airfield near Whitefish
“Would any of you want to buy a property next to a commercial helicopter pad?”
That was one question posed by Whitefish property owner Cheryl Watkins to the Flathead County Board of Adjustment on Tuesday evening in regard to a request for a conditional-use permit that would allow commercial operations at an airfield near Whitefish. The impact on property values surrounding the subject property at 5560 U.S. 93 S., was just one of multiple concerns raised by neighbors that prompted the board to vote 3 to 2 in favor of tabling the request for review at a later time.
The two who voted against tabling — Calvin Dyck and Gina Klempel — were instead in favor of denying the application based on lack of information.
The vagueness of the application was a chief concern shared by all five board members. The application lacked details as to what exactly the commercial operations would entail.
The application, submitted by Land Solutions LLC on behalf of East Glacier Holding LLC, failed to list hours of operation, the size and loudness of the helicopters, the frequency of trips and other details.
“The vagueness has got me baffled,” board member Ole Netteberg said. “I mean, are they [the helicopters] small? Are they large? How many people are they going to carry?”
In May 2018, the board granted the private use of a helicopter pad on the property located within the Blanchard Lake Zoning District and said if the applicant wanted to use it in another capacity, he would have to come before the board again.
The application listed multiple possible uses for commercial operations on the 19.2-acre property, including using helicopters to “take passengers to destinations in Montana,” or for drone flying operations. According to the document, however, “it is expected that the commercial operations at the pad will be very sporadic.”
The document gives no clear vision as to how many helicopters would use the existing pad and how frequently they would fly, and provided and no environmental, ecological or safety assessments.
Noise, safety, impact to wild and domestic animals and the property’s proximity to already-existing Federal Aviation Administration-approved areas were among some of the primary concerns brought forward by a handful of community members who live near the property.
“They are extremely loud and invasive. My front door and child’s play yard are within 250 feet from the pad,” said Micheal Medlin, who lives next door to the property. “We agreed to a personal landing pad (in 2018) and we didn’t want to get in the way of that. But this is unacceptable.”
One person said the helicopters spook her livestock and dogs upon take-off and arrival. Several attendees said the owner should take his commercial operation to Glacier Park International Airport, which is about 5 miles from the property. One man suggested collecting decibel ratings when the helicopters take off to measure just how loud they are.
Dave DeGrandpre with Land Solutions LLC acknowledged that some of the concerns expressed are “legitimate concerns.” He suggested the board add various conditions to the commercial-use permit, placing limits on when the helicopters can operate or how many trips should be allowed per week.
However, board member Roger Noble said the application as it stood was “incomplete” in nature and therefore board members could not be expected to make a well-informed decision on the conditional-use permit.
The board set no follow-up date for reconsideration of the permit, but tabled the application until proper information is gathered and assessments are complete.
Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com