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Flower Mound council denies Scrivner Ranch heli‑stop after safety and noise objections
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with many neighbors opposing a private heli‑stop, the Flower Mound Town Council voted on Feb. 17 to deny a specific use permit (SUP) for a heli‑stop at Scrivner Ranch, citing noise, downwash and safety concerns; denial passed by unanimous roll call.
The Flower Mound Town Council voted Feb. 17 to deny a request for a specific use permit to construct and operate a private heli‑stop at a 7.74‑acre Scrivner Ranch property in the Cross Timbers conservation area.
The request drew more than a dozen residents to speak in opposition during a public hearing. Neighbors described repeated unpermitted takeoffs and landings, said helicopters have flown low and caused noise and debris, and warned about risks to horses, bicyclists, pedestrians and nearby power lines.
Site and staff summary: planning staff said the proposed landing pad was roughly 200 feet from the closest residential lot and about 125 feet from the Cross Timbers property line. The town code defines a "heli stop" as a landing pad for occasional, infrequent use by rotary‑wing aircraft under 6,000 pounds, subject to an SUP in several zoning districts. Staff also noted the town's noise ordinance and that the applicant would need a noise‑variance application if an SUP were approved.
Public concerns: residents provided video and photographic accounts they said showed helicopters already taking off and landing from the property. Demaris Macaulay told the council she had "footage of helicopters taking off and landing from that residence" and said the activity had been reported to police and the FBI without resolution. Pilot and safety testimony amplified concerns about downwash and glide slopes; one pilot described rotor wash that can exceed hurricane‑force wind speeds at low clearance and warned of nearby power lines and trails used by pedestrians and bicyclists. Other speakers emphasized impacts on wildlife and argued the Cross Timbers area is inappropriate for such an operation.
Noise and regulation: staff told council an engineering noise study indicated operations could exceed the town's residential noise limits (52 dBA night / 62 dBA day) at nearby homes; the town's code caps short‑term exceedances as well. Council discussed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates flight paths and in‑flight operations but not local land‑use decisions; the SUP process governs the on‑the‑ground landing pad and associated conditions, while noise variances are handled through a separate permitting path.
Applicant absence: the applicant did not appear at the council meeting to present; the SUP had been denied by the Planning & Zoning Commission and the council voted to deny it.
Council action: a motion to deny the SUP for the Scrivner Ranch heli‑stop carried by unanimous roll call (aye votes recorded for Councilmembers Werner, Drew, Taylor, Mayor Pro Tem Martin and Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Schistel). The denial preserves the existing land‑use regulation and prevents the establishment of an on‑site heli‑stop under the terms proposed.
What it means: the denial prevents a private landing pad at this property. Staff noted that helicopters may still operate in town airspace (regulated by the FAA), but a landing site at this location will not be authorized by the town.
