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Lewes’ mayor says although there’s opposition to Beebe Medical Center’s plans to build a helicopter landing pad near West Fourth Street and Savannah Road, one thing is clear: the landing pad will have to go somewhere in the community and near the hospital.
Lewes Mayor Jim Ford said the 7 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 31, meeting at City Hall would provide Beebe administrators an opportunity to present revisions or alternatives they’ve developed since Beebe President and CEO Jeffrey Fried said planners would go back to the drawing board on the helipad.
“The concerns that we’ve heard about property values, noise, homes being affected by vibrations, all of that is going to happen no matter where it is,” Ford said in an interview on Aug. 25.
Ford said the unanswered questions include who would be affected and to what extent.
“No one wants it in their backyard, but I would assume that everybody would want it when they needed it,” Ford said.
He said the city’s decision would ultimately be based on what is best for the community with the knowledge that some residents are going to be negatively affected. “Unfortunately, that’s unavoidable,” he said.
Earlier this month, more than 40 homeowners living near the hospital signed a petition opposing the helipad’s location next to West Fourth Street.
At its Aug. 9 meeting, the Mayor and Council were scheduled to vote on a Lewes Planning Commission recommendation to approve the helipad.
Ford said a city decision on the helipad now could come at the council’s Monday, Sept. 12, meeting.
Sharon Harmon, medical center spokeswoman, said hospital administrators are not publicizing ideas they’re developing until the Aug. 31 meeting.
Harmon said seven helicopter flight services, including the Delaware State Police, made 353 landings at the hospital in 2003, 309 in 2004 and 158 through July of this year.
The hospital is under way with a $25 million expansion project and wants to finalize placement of the helipad as soon as possible.
Ford said he’s somewhat dismayed that the Federal Aviation Administration isn’t involved in helicopter landing pads until after they are constructed.
“You’d think there would be a dialogue and concern prior to it being built,” Ford said.
An FAA spokesman last week told the Cape Gazette the agency has no jurisdiction in the placement of helipads and is primarily concerned about whether the flight path a helicopter uses could interfere with air traffic.
Ford said FAA expertise would be helpful if a facility were considering a rooftop helipad versus a helipad on the ground.
Ford said if a fuel spill were ignited on a rooftop, firefighters would then be dealing with a burning building.
“To me, having it on a rooftop would be much more dangerous than having it on the ground,” Ford said.
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