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Council defers Northwind Summit vertiport request pending UDC amendment, cites need for defined 'vertiport' term
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Summary
A developer requested a master-plan amendment and conditional use to allow a vertiport on a future parking deck at Northwind Summit; council accepted staff's recommended conditions but deferred final action until the Unified Development Code includes a vertiport definition or related amendment.
The Alpharetta City Council deferred action on a request to add a heliport/vertiport use to the Northwind Summit master plan so staff can return with a Unified Development Code amendment or clarified conditions defining "vertiport." The council's decision followed questions about whether the city's existing heliport terminology properly covers electric vertical takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) facilities.
City planner Michael Woodman told the council the applicant seeks a master-plan amendment and conditional-use approval to allow a heliport (the closest existing code use) to be shown for a future three-level parking deck at 1000 Summit Place. Woodman said the applicant's site exhibits show four landing pads and an about 11,000-square-foot terminal on the deck's third level associated with a proposed mixed-use development of about 24 acres.
The applicant, Kerry Armstrong of Popeland Enterprises, told the council he and his team have been studying advanced air mobility and that their interest is limited to aircraft that use electric vertical lift technology. "I can assure you that our entire interest in this is for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. We don't want a helipad there either," Armstrong said.
Council members raised concerns about noise, code language and regulatory oversight. Mayor Pro Tem Dan Merkel and others urged that the city adopt a clear definition for "vertiport" rather than rely on the existing heliport code term. City Attorney (Eswein) noted FAA guidance released in December 2024 that classifies vertiports as a type of heliport with distinct specifications; a council member also cited a recently enacted Georgia law (H.B. 156, signed May 13) giving the Georgia Department of Transportation authority related to vertiports.
Following discussion, the council voted to defer the application. The motion, made by Mayor Pro Tem Merkel and seconded by Councilman Dorito, directed staff and the city attorney to pursue either (1) a code amendment to define vertiport and related standards before final action or (2) return with tighter, express conditions limiting any approval to eVTOL-type operations only. The council did not approve the master-plan amendment or conditional use at the meeting.
Applicants and some council members argued no immediate construction is planned and that the request was meant to confirm the use is permissible for future development. Opponents and some members of the public urged caution, expressing concerns about noise and possible future uses if terminology is unclear.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney will prepare draft UDC language or a clarified conditional-use draft and return to the planning commission and council; council signaled it prefers a code amendment route to ensure a clear definition and permitting standard prior to approval of any vertiport on the site.
