HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 09-22-14 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
DEPARTMENT REPORT
SEPTEMBER 22,2014
1-5.(UV,V)St.Vincent Heart Center Helipad
The applicant seeks the following use variance and development standards variance approvals for a private
helicopter landing facility:
Docket No. 14070012 UV ZO CH 16.01 Permitted Uses
Docket No. 14070013 V ZO CH 23B.07: Min Tract Size 5 Acres, 1.33 acres proposed
Docket No. 14070014 V ZO CH 33.05.A: Perimeter Bufferyards,0 provided
Docket No. 14070015 V ZO CH 33.06.C: US 31 Landscape Requirements,no plantings in the
Greenbelt proposed
Docket No. 14070016 V ZO CH 33.07.A: Tree Preservation,no tree preservation proposed
The site is located at 10202 North Meridian Street and is zoned B-5/Business as well at S-2/Residential within the
US 31 Corridor Overlay. Filed by Paul Reis of Krieg DeVault on behalf of St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana,
LLC.
General Info:
"2,
Y The petitioner seeks use variance and
� development standard variance approval
h
„„'I::""�F' for a helicopter landing facility in order
-- l � a ``'�" " ;} 'l to provide quick and safe air ambulance
- h � service of emergency patients to the St.
t ;L l,, Vincent Heart Hospital. The site is
7. located west of US 31, south of a
parking lot, and north& east of vacant
business zoned properties. The St.
4 };j � 4 ..` Vincent Heart Hospital is just north of
_tt - �-,--� �"" this site at Illinois Street and 106th
\,� - Street. Please see the Petitioner's
:'z:;:;,j' informational packet for more detail.
".' it' -
' Analysis:
•
•:- IliA j ' ' A helipad is not a permitted use in the
B-5/Business District, but is a needed
1-, facility for the St. Vincent Heart
"' Hospital. Currently the hospital uses a
MilliliiiiiiIME _ _ _ _ _ helipad located at 122nd Street and
- _ Pennsylvania Street, which is about 1.8
miles away while the proposed location
is only about .32 miles away. In reviewing the request for the helipad, several considerations must be weighed.
There is the time-saving factor of having a helipad located in close proximity to the treatment center, as
opposed to about 2 miles away. The purpose of an air ambulance is to get the patient as expeditiously as
possible to treatment; the proposed helipad would accomplish that more effectively than the current
helipad/ambulance trip now utilized.
The potential impact of the use on surrounding properties should also be taken into consideration. In 2008 the
St. Vincent Heart Hospital requested a Use Variance for a Helipad at a different location and it was denied. The
previous location was further north and in close proximity to residential properties. The current site is much
further away from residential properties, and should be a good location as it is screened by office uses to the
west, Interstate 465 to the south, US Highway 31 to the east, and a parking lot and hotel to the north. In fact,
the proposed helipad would be constructed approximately 1,117 ft. (0.2 miles) away from the nearest residential
property line. Based on sound studies that the petitioner did, the loudest test came back at 60 dBA at the nearest
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residential property; which is equivalent to a living room with music or television playing quietly. Also, the
proposed flight paths are from the northeast and southeast; neither of the flight paths will cross
residential areas located northwest of the helipad.
The petitioner is also requesting variances from the US 31 Overlay Zone and the Landscape Ordinance
requirements. The US 31 Overlay Zone does not expressly prohibit Helipads, but it does require new
developments to cover a minimum area of 5 acres. Due to right-of-way acquisition for the US 31 project, the
project parcel has been reduced in size. Also the Department does not believe 5 acres is needed for a helicopter
landing facility. The landscaping requirements are not able to be met because of vertical clearance
requirements for helicopters. Due to this, no trees are able to be preserved on site and the petitioner is
requesting to reduce the number of new trees planted to avoid interference with the helicopter landing. The
helicopter landing facility will be screened by a fence and dense shrubbery around the site and as well as low
plant material in the 30 foot greenbelt.
While the helipad would have some impact on surrounding uses, the petitioner has committed to minimizing
that impact as much as possible. The visual impact and ground noise will be limited by the nature of the
location of the proposed site which is near a busy highway, interstate, and tucked out of sight behind existing
office developments. The visual impact will also be lessened by the landscaping around the pad, and the low-
level lighting that would only be used as needed. Finally, there were 229 helicopter transports to the St.
Vincent Heart Hospital in 2013 and the flights would likely continue to number less than one per day on
average and the sound from the helicopters will be low at the nearest residential lots.
Petitioner's Findings of Fact:
Please refer to the petitioner's information packet for their Findings of Fact.
Recommendation:
After all comments and concerns have been addressed,the Dept. of Community Services recommends favorable
consideration of Docket No. 14070012 UV and Docket Nos. 14070013-16 V.
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