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Clinton Board of Adjustment approves MercyOne heliport permit amid neighborhood concerns
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Summary
The Clinton Board of Adjustment voted to grant MercyOne a special use permit to base a staffed medical helicopter at Mercy Hospital’s helipad at 1410 North 4th Street. The decision followed a MercyOne presentation and public questions about flight frequency, rotor wash, drone rules and neighborhood impacts.
The Clinton Board of Adjustment voted to grant MercyOne a special use permit to convert the hospital’s existing helipad at 1410 North 4th Street into a staffed medical heliport, a change MercyOne officials said will shorten response times for critically ill patients.
MercyOne legal counsel Richard Davidson introduced Ryan Goshel, MercyOne’s regional emergency transport director, who told the board the proposed base would be staffed 24/7 with aircrew and medical professionals and operate the company’s Bell 429 aircraft. “This will greatly reduce the response time for Clinton patients,” Goshel said, describing the base as a way to get critically ill patients to tertiary care centers more quickly.
The presentation said the Clinton base is intended to serve the local market; MercyOne stated current activity averages about 15 flights per month and that planning assumptions for a based aircraft are about 30 flights per month. Goshel said maintenance and fueling would be handled at Clinton Municipal Airport and that MercyOne has Part 135 certification and CAMES accreditation for its flight program.
Neighbors and board members asked detailed questions about noise, rotor wash, safety and drones. A board member noted a rotor-wash distance of roughly 200 feet and that the nearest sidewalk is about 120 feet from the helipad; Goshel said crews perform daily helipad walk-arounds, deploy security to secure the landing area during takeoff and landing, and offered MercyOne as a point of contact for property damage claims. “We want to protect our community,” he said.
Les Shields, who was sworn and identified himself for the record, said he supported faster emergency access but urged broader notice for drone operators, citing FAA low-altitude authorization rules around heliports. Shields said the FAA-related buffer (1.4 kilometers) covers much of central Clinton and suggested the city or applicant notify affected drone users; the board said notification to the FAA or implementation of LAANC-related authorizations is outside the Board of Adjustment’s statutory notification duties and would be handled through FAA processes or later administrative steps.
Karen (staff) presented the staff review and legal checklist showing required materials in the file and noted that the mailing process had three attempts that had not been received by some recipients. The board reviewed the required findings under the cited zoning section referenced in the application (transcript citation: 159-049D1) and recorded unanimous responses that the use would not substantially increase traffic hazards, fire hazards, adverse neighborhood character, overtax public utilities, nor conflict with the comprehensive plan.
A motion to grant the special use permit, read into the record by a board member, was seconded and carried on a recorded roll-call vote: Ed Wignell — yes; Cliff Wilkerson — yes; Janet Brown — yes; James Schmercy — yes. The chair announced the permit had been approved. The board discussed that it could attach conditions or revisit the permit if activity exceeded certain thresholds; one board member suggested returning to the board if flights reached a higher level than planned.
The board moved on to old business (a vacancy and replacement for a departing member was noted) and then adjourned.
What the record shows: MercyOne will base a staffed aircraft and crew at the helipad location; MercyOne said it does not plan on on-site refueling or permanent fuel tanks; staff verified permit application materials and the board approved the special use permit. Questions remain on community notification outside the Board’s legal notice requirements (FAA drone-authority and LAANC operations) and operational details that would be handled by MercyOne or other agencies.
Next steps: the permit was approved and entered into the board file; any implementation specifics (mitigation steps, operational limits, or additional notices requested by the public) would be managed by the applicant, staff, or other regulatory agencies as applicable.
