City bans helicopters from landing in neighborhoods

Whitefish has decided it doesn’t want private helicopters landing or taking off inside residential neighborhoods.

City council on Nov. 17 approved a code amendment that restricts heliports and helipads as a conditional use in agricultural areas only.

Council also asked a provision be added that states manned helicopters are strictly prohibited from landing and taking off in residential areas outside of approved heliports or helipads.

Before including the provision, council asked if adding it would prohibit helicopters from landing in residential areas.

Planning Director Dave Taylor said that adding the provision would do just that.  

“It would completely prohibit it,” he said.

City attorney Mary VanBuskirk said the Federal Aviation Administration has jurisdiction over the airspace, but the city has jurisdiction over land-use zoning.

The city received several complaints this summer about private helicopters landing in town. One incident in particular on Dakota Avenue in August prompted some neighbors to call the police complaining about the noise during takeoff and landing.

Mike Jenson told council regulation of helicopters landing in the city is important.

“It’s an asset to the neighborhood to not have to listen to helicopters coming and going,” he said. “I’m not opposed to helicopters, but I am opposed to them taking off and landing a football field from my house for someone else’s convenience.”

Jan Metzmaker thanked council for its response to complaints.

“I firmly believe we don’t need helicopters landing in residential areas in the city,” she said. “You can land at the city airport and then drive. What is convenient for one person really is inconvenient to the rest of us.”

Whitefish agricultural zones already allow airports and landing strips as a conditional use. The 15-acre minimum lot size in the agricultural zone makes it the most appropriate district for any type of aircraft because of the buffering from neighboring properties, according to the planning department.

All heliports and helipads would be required to meet the safety and design standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The code amendment would not impact emergency aircraft landing in the city.