Council to take new look at helipads

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004 | 9:38 a.m.

After residents opposed a plan that would allow some homes to have their own helipads, the Henderson City Council on Tuesday agreed to wait another two months to decide whether to make the change to the city's zoning laws.

The council on Tuesday got a look at a revised proposal to allow helipads on residential property larger than five acres. The original proposal would have allowed helipads, with a special use permit from the council, in the city's two least dense residential zones, RS-1A and RS-2, which limit development to one home and two homes per acre respectively.

The new version, which keeps the requirement for special council approval, would allow helipads on property larger than five acres only in the city's RS-1 zone. Also, the helipads would not be allowed in the designated Rural Neighborhood Preservation Areas or in master-planned communities.

City Planning Manager Tracy Foutz said the difference means that while more than 200 properties could have applied for the special permits as the zoning law changes were originally proposed, under the latest version of the proposed changes, only about 25 properties would qualify to apply for a helipad special use permit.

According to a city map, the qualified properties would include land south of U.S. 95 near Railroad Pass; an area west of Boulder Highway south of Warm Springs Road; and some land west of the U.S. 95-Stephanie Street interchange.

Vincent Danisi spoke to the council Tuesday night on behalf of the Henderson Homeowners Association, an umbrella group for several homeowners associations in the city. Danisi, whose group had opposed the original version of the proposed changes, said Tuesday the groups were pleased with the changes. Danisi also asked the council to restrict the flight path of helicopters to lessen the impact on residents.

"There are people that like airplanes and helicopters as much as we like horses and both should be accommodated," Danisi said. "The city is trying to attract people with money and they should be accommodated."

But some city residents were still not happy with the proposed changes.

"Put the helipads at the airports and leave the people alone," Butch Martin told the council. His comments were echoed by three other residents, and the crowd loudly applauded each of the anti-helipad commentators.

Mayor Jim Gibson, who asked city staff to look into possible changes to allow helipads in residential areas, then suggested the council postpone a decision on the proposed changes to give residents time to learn more about the issue.

The other council members agreed and the council voted 5-0 to bring the matter back for their Nov. 2 meeting. A final vote on the matter could happen during the Nov. 16 council meeting, City Clerk Monica Simmons said.

The proposals were penned after city resident Fred Nassiri sought to build a helipad at a new home he is building on 10 acres near the intersection of Horizon Ridge Parkway and Gibson Road.

Nassiri -- who owns Nassiri Inc., an apparel wholesale business, and Nassiri Music, a music company -- has said he wants to use a helicopter to get to work.

But under the new version of the proposed changes, Nassiri would have to get that land rezoned to RS-1A to even apply for a helipad special-use permit, Foutz said.

There are existing helipads at hospitals in Henderson, and at Lake Las Vegas, where the lake has a public/semi-public zoning designation.