Accused two months ago of not providing enough information about its expansion plans, Meeker County Memorial Hospital offered a barrage of testimony during a public hearing before the Litchfield Planning Commission Monday.

And the added testimony — from the hospital’s architect, an engineer, and an expert from the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Office of Aeronautics — proved helpful, as the Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the hospital’s variance request and special-use permit request.

“This really made a difference,” Planning Commission chairwoman Sherron Reilly said. “We needed to hear the facts. Thank you all very, very much.”

MCMH’s special-use permit request for construction of a new heliport had proved to be the most contentious issue during the past few months as a small group of neighbors raised concerns about the harm it would cause. During a public hearing in June, neighbors objected because they felt the heliport would be too close to their homes and create noise and safety issues.

They sought a change of site for the new heliport, suggesting a hospital rooftop location as an alternative.

Meanwhile, Planning Commission members raised questions about Federal Aviation Administration regulations that might come into play in the heliport siting.

A divided commission voted 3-2 in June to table a decision on the special-use permit, with acting chairwoman Barb Altringer saying a delay might be in the hospital’s best interests. “With some of the testimony we’ve heard tonight, I’d  have a concern about this thing making it, and if that’s the case, I’d be more worried about doing a disservice to the hospital tonight,” she said then.

The Planning Commission felt differently Monday night after thorough explanations from the hospital’s experts and a final, emphatic statement from chief executive officer Mike Schramm.

“Let’s make sure we understand, first and foremost, what the intent for that heliport is for,” Schramm said. “What we’re trying to do, ultimately, with this plan is to improve care for this community.”

Rick Braunig from the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics explained the licensing process for heliports. Once the heliport is established, the city will have to be aware of the flight paths and protect against building of structures by neighbors that might interfere with helicopter approaches and take-offs.

Among MnDOT’s considerations when studying applications for heliports are safety, privacy and noise, Braunig said.

“(A) helicopter does make noise, but so do a lot of other things in the community,” Braunig said. “We always try to work with helicopter pilots to mitigate that noise.”
MnDOT offers “Flying Neighborly” guides to helicopter pilots with suggestions for keeping noise impact to a minimum.

“I know it’s still not quiet. We don’t have ‘whisper mode’,” he added. “But we’re doing the best we can.”

As for elevated heliports, Braunig said, they “are great.” They offer security, clear approaches and reduced noise. However, the drawback is cost, which he said is close to $750,000, “depending on what you have to do to reinforce the structure underneath.”

Dahl of BWBR Architects said that Braunig’s estimate was probably on the low end of the scale for a rooftop heliport.