Whitefish looks to regulate helicopters landing in town

Whitefish is taking steps to ban private helicopters from landing within residential neighborhoods.

The city received several complaints this summer about private helicopters landing in town. Most recently, on Aug. 29, a helicopter landed off Dakota Avenue at the Krummholz property owned by Joe and Cindy Gregory. The incident prompted some neighbors to call police and complain about the noise during takeoff and landing.

Last year, a property owner on Whitefish Lake requested a permit to build a private helipad on the roof of their home. The city denied the permit because of building code concerns, but otherwise had no way of regulating such a structure.

To give the city teeth in governing private aircraft in town, the city planning department is proposing a code amendment that allows permanent helipads in agricultural areas, but not city zoning districts.

Whitefish agricultural zones already allow airports and landing strips as a conditional use.

“This is the most appropriate zoning district for any type of aircraft, as a 15-acre minimum zone provides buffering from neighboring properties,” the planning staff report notes.

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.

Yet, even with the code change, the city would have limited authority in regulating helicopters landing in fields on private property — as was the case in August at the Krummholz property.

“We couldn’t regulate someone flying and landing in a field,” Whitefish Planning Director Dave Taylor said at the Sept. 3 city council meeting. “Zoning typically regulates permanent uses. We wouldn’t regulate somebody’s back yard.”

However, the city could amend the noise ordinance to add language regarding helicopters, which would be enforced by police.

The City Planning Board will review the proposed code amendment at its next meeting Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.