Ziegler Auto Group’s proposed private helipad at 927 North Shore draws noise, safety and precedent concerns

James Ferrolo, an attorney for Ziegler Auto Group, told the Lake Bluff Plan Commission on March 18 that the company plans to seek a zoning text amendment and special-use permit to allow a private helicopter landing area behind the Ferrari dealership at 927 North Shore Drive. Ferrolo said the proposal would be tightly restricted and used only by the ownership team.

Ryan Snowink, Ziegler’s director of aviation, described the company’s Bell 429 helicopter as a twin-engine, Category A aircraft and said the operation would be limited to brief, infrequent stops — “one to two landings and takeoffs per month” — and that typical ground time at a stop had measured about 36 seconds. He said the Illinois Department of Transportation’s flight-safety coordinator reviewed the preferred site and issued a conditional “no objection,” subject to a few site adjustments such as removing an inactive utility pole and marking the landing area.

Residents and commission members said the proposal raises local concerns that IDOT’s review does not address. Bruce Grieve, a resident of 1301 Knollwood Circle, said the proposed inbound flight path appears to overfly Knollwood Country Club and nearby homes, and asked about expected decibel levels during warm-up and takeoff. “They’re very noticeable,” he said of emergency flights he’s seen and added that neighbors will feel the impact.

Guida Griffiths, a Lake Forest resident, urged the commission to consider precedent: she asked whether an exception for executive convenience could open the door to similar private landing areas for other wealthy landowners and requested safety statistics related to this type of aircraft. “I just wonder if an exception for convenience doesn’t open the door for any sort of wealthy landowner,” she said.

Mike Pasquese, whose family operates a business at 975 North Shore Drive, said the business park is densely developed and said he worries about noise pollution and effects on summer programs and the nearby tennis-court camps. “I think the park is too densely populated,” Pasquese said.

Commissioners replied that the village retains land-use authority even where IDOT reviews flight dynamics. Several members said they were not persuaded that the community would benefit enough to outweigh noise, safety and precedent concerns. One commissioner said the preferred site is “inappropriate” because of nearby camps, parked cars and close buildings; another urged exploring alternative locations such as the AbbVie site, which had an IDOT review in 2020.

Members asked the applicant to provide additional information before any zoning application: an on-site demonstration with live audio so commissioners and neighbors can hear the helicopter at the proposed spot, a sound study targeted to the streets and properties the flight path would cross, and case studies of how similar approvals have worked in comparable communities. The commission described the preferred site as a likely “nonstarter” unless the applicant can address those concerns and identify a location that minimizes residential impacts.

Ferrolo said Ziegler would consider a demonstration and look for alternative locations; he reiterated that the company was willing to accept restrictive conditions if the commission ultimately allowed a special use. Because this was a pre-application workshop, no formal motion or vote was taken on the helipad proposal. The commission invited the applicant to return with more detailed noise and safety data, a demonstration with audio, and any alternate sites they identify.