Heliport plan OK’d

Dan Kulin

Thursday, April 22, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

Plans for a commercial heliport in North Las Vegas were given the green light Wednesday when the city announced it withdrew its appeal of the city Planning Commission's November approval of the heliport.

Jerry Airola, president and owner of Silver State Helicopters, said his company will probably begin flying in and out of the heliport at 500 East Cheyenne Ave. sometime next week.

The heliport is at the intersection of East Cheyenne and North 5th Street and is near the city's golf course in an industrial section of the city. Mayor Michael Montandon has said the location is ideal for a heliport because it is far from residential areas.

Elsewhere in the Las Vegas Valley, plans for heliports have come under fire from neighbors afraid of the noise from helicopters. Silver State's plan didn't bring any opposition from neighbors.

The Planning Commission approved Silver State's request to use the heliport on Nov. 25. But the city Planning Department staff appealed the decision, saying it conflicted with a state moratorium on new heliports in urban areas.

Airola argued the moratorium didn't apply to this heliport because the Federal Aviation Administration approved a private heliport for the property in 1981, and it has continued to be used since then. Thus, he said, the heliport was not new.

City Manager Gregory Rose and City Attorney Sean McGowan said Wednesday that additional information provided by Silver State since the Planning Commission meeting convinced them the city should drop its challenge.

That information included seven affidavits or letters from people who live or work near the heliport, who said they have seen helicopters coming and going, or parked on the property in recent years.

"At the Planning Commission there was very scant evidence of the prior use, and it didn't give us a great deal of comfort," McGowan said, adding that seeing the affidavits and other material gave them enough proof the heliport was used.

Rose said he was also encouraged by a letter from Airola in which he promised to work to minimize the impact of the heliport on city residents.

In the letter, Airola pledged to have the power lines around the property put underground, as he was already planning to do; promised he would not fly over the city's municipal golf course; agreed not to fly over residential developments south of the heliport; and agreed that except for special cases such as fire fighting and medical emergencies, the flights will generally happen during the day.

Airola's letter said there would be no more than an average of 20 flights per day, but Airola said Wednesday there will probably be at most five flights from that heliport daily.

The Cheyenne heliport will primarily be used as a base for helicopter maintenance and helicopters used for charters. Silver State will also keep its main base, including its flight school, at the North Las Vegas Airport, Airola said.