Atrium Health Seeks Freestanding Emergency Department and Helipad near Walmart Site; Applicant Says Drone Operations Compatible

Atrium Health and its consultants presented a conditional‑zoning application on June 1 to rezone 7.8 acres adjacent to the Walmart site on Highway 73 for a freestanding emergency department, a medical office building and a helicopter landing pad. Planning staff recommended approval and said the proposal fits the county’s walkable‑activity‑center land‑use designation.

John Carmichael, representing the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (Atrium Health), explained the request and said the freestanding emergency department would provide 24/7 acute care and be limited in scale. Tree Tang, president of Atrium Health Lincoln Hospital, testified that the facility is intended to serve growing demand on the east side of Lincoln County.

Carmichael and an Atrium aviation representative told the board a freestanding emergency department typically sees one to two helicopter transports per month; larger transfers go through Atrium’s main hospital. Atrium said it met with Wing’s aviation team and that Atrium’s aviation department “did not see any issues” with Wing’s proposed neighboring drone operations, based on FAA regulations and Wing’s stated safety practices.

Commissioners and planning board members asked about integration with local emergency services and whether simultaneous drone and helicopter operations could conflict. Atrium and Wing representatives described keepout zones, ADS‑B detection and manual coordination protocols as mitigation measures. County staff reiterated that land‑use approvals at the local level do not authorize airspace routings, which are regulated by the FAA.

Next steps: Staff recommended approval; the board held a public hearing and postponed any final statutory decision until a future vote tied to the rezoning schedule (June 15).