Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutVail Homeowners Association LetterVAIL HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. President - Gail Ellis Secretary - Judith Berkowitz Treasurer - Rob Ford Executive Director - Jim Lamont Directors: John Gorsuch - Alan Kosloff - Kent Logan - John Lohre - Trygve Myhren Larry Stewart - Miguel Jáuregui Rojas - Doug Tansill Emeritus: Dolph Bridgewater - Ellie Caulkins - Richard Conn - Patrick Gramm - Eugene Mercy - Bill Morton - Gretta Parks In Memoriam: Bob Galvin To: Mayor and Town Council Planning and Environmental Commission Design Review Board Date: September 10, 2012 RE: Proposed Steadman MOB/Vail Municipal Building and VVMC Development Plan Please review the appended Federal Aviation Agency guidelines, currently under consideration for adoption, which detail criteria for the development of a hospital heliport. The guidelines are advisory to adoption of local regulations to govern the development of such facilities. They are the latest state-of- art regulations drafted to protect the public safety of adjacent properties and to set zoning standards to protect a helipad from encroachment of hazardous obstructions. The existence of the guidelines has been brought to the attention of the Vail Town Council by the Association and the Vail Valley Medical Center through members of the Association, who reside near the Town of Vail’s existing heliport. The issue has been raised that the Town of Vail and VVMC should apply the FAA guidelines in their consideration of the relocation of the existing heliport as they are the most definitive standards concerned with the protection of public safety. The existence of the FAA guidelines were brought forward to officials in conjunction with the Association's effort to seek collaborative solutions between affected neighborhoods, the Town of Vail and the Vail Valley Medical Center. The intent is to apply the most contemporary standards to give maximum longevity and neighborhood compatibility to the evolution of the Vail Valley Medical Center and Municipal Building sites. The immediate concern is with the design and height of the proposed Steadman Medical Office Building and the new Municipal Buildings. Unless the FAA guidelines are considered in conjunction with the public review process associated with these proposed developments, alternative heliport solutions will be precluded. The failure to consider the guidelines would preordain a design, location and operational flight path of a heliport which will increase the public safety hazards for surrounding and nearby residential neighborhoods. There are alternative locations that may comply with the FAA guidelines. These locations include the roof of the proposed Steadman Office Building, the eastern edge of the Ford Park parking lot, and a location west of the Town of Vail Municipal Building site. It is advised, with the concurrence of the affected residential neighborhood, that the FAA guidelines be incorporated through the public hearing and review process into the review of all aspects of the redevelopment of the Vail Valley Medical Center/Vail Municipal Building and other optional locations being considered for a temporary or permanent heliport. Post Office Box 238 Vail, Colorado 81658 Telephone: (970) 827-5680 FAX: (970) 827-5856 E-mail: vha@vail.net Web Site: www.vailhomeowners.com The following is excerpted from communication between representatives of the VVMC and neighborhood property owners and subsequently made available to the Vail Homeowners Association. Attached (see link Federal development guidelines for heliports) is the proposed FAA Regulation for helipad design. Pay particular attention to Chapter 4 regarding medical helipads and especially these requirements and suggestions (emphasis added by bolding and commentator notes in italics): “403. HELIPORT SITE SELECTION. a. Planning. Public agencies and others planning to develop a hospital heliport are encouraged to select a site capable of supporting instrument operations, future expansion, and military helicopters that will be used in disaster relief efforts.” “417. ZONING AND COMPATIBLE LAND USE. Where state and local statutes permit, the hospital heliport sponsor is encouraged to promote the adoption of the following zoning measures to ensure that the heliport will continue to be available and to protect the investment in the facility. a. Zoning to Limit Building/Object Heights. General guidance on drafting an ordinance that would limit building and object heights is contained in AC 150/5190-4, A Model Zoning Ordinance to Limit Height of Objects Around Airports. The ordinance should substitute the heliport surfaces on the model ordinance. b. Zoning for Compatible Land Use. A zoning ordinance may be enacted, or an existing ordinance modified, to control the use of property within the heliport approach/departure path environment. The ordinance should restrict activities to those that are compatible with helicopter operations.. c. Air rights and property easements are options that may be used to prevent the encroachment of obstacles in the vicinity of a heliport.” The FAA, at Section 417.a. recommends restrictive zoning to uses and heights that are compatible to helicopter operations and recommends adoption of a zoning ordinance that limits surrounding property improvement height [citing, AC 150/5190-4, A Model Zoning Ordinance to Limit Height of Objects Around Airport]. One recommended zoning ordinance [https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailtransit/aeronautics/sasp/documents/TRappendixAC.pdf] [ AC 150/5190-4, A Model Zoning Ordinance to Limit Height of Objects Around Airports.] defines an approach zone that would likely include the Steadman MOB and TOV municipal site, as well as other surrounding structures, which might be prohibited or limited in height: [“2.7.Heliport Approach Zone - The inner edge of this approach zone coincides with the width of the primary surface and is___/ feet wide. The approach zone expands outward uniformly to a width of 500 feet at a horizontal distance of 4,000 feet from the primary surface.”] “IV. Except as otherwise provided in this Ordinance, no structure shall be erected, altered, or maintained, and no tree shall be allowed to grow in any zone created by this Ordinance to a height in excess of the applicable height limit herein established for such zone. Such applicable height limitations are hereby established for each of the zones in question as follows: … .” [see, https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailtransit/aeronautics/sasp/documents/TRappendixAC.pdf at Section IV]. “409. HELIPORT PROTECTION ZONE (HPZ) It is recommended that a Heliport Protection Zone be established for each approach/departure surface. The HPZ is the area under the 8:1 approach/departure surface starting at the FATO perimeter and extending out for a distance of 280 feet (85.3 m), as illustrated in Figure 4-11 on page 128. The HPZ is intended to enhance the protection of people and property on the ground. This is achieved through heliport owner control over the HPZ. Such control includes clearing HPZ areas (and maintaining them clear) of incompatible objects and activities. Land uses discouraged in the HPZ are residences and places of public assembly. (Churches, schools, hospitals, office buildings, shopping centers, and other uses with similar concentrations of persons typify places of public assembly.) Fuel storage facilities should not be located in the HPZ.” “406. FINAL APPROACH AND TAKEOFF AREA (FATO). A hospital heliport must have at least one FATO. The FATO must contain a TLOF within its borders at which arriving helicopters terminate their approach and from which departing helicopters take off. a. FATO Location. The FATO of a hospital heliport may be at ground level, on an elevated structure, or on a rooftop. To avoid or minimize the need for additional ground transport, the FATO location should provide ready access to the hospital's emergency room. However, the heliport should be located so buildings and other objects are outside the safety area and below obstacle clearance surfaces. The relationship of the FATO to the TLOF and the safety area is shown in Figure 4-2 on page 113. b. FATO Size. (1) The minimum width, length or diameter of a FATO is 1.5 times the overall length (D) of the design helicopter. At elevations well above sea level a longer FATO is needed to provide an increased safety margin and greater operational flexibility. The additional FATO length is depicted in Figure 4-4.” Figure 4.4 in the Regulation indicates the expected complexity associated with altitude by the geometrical increase of the FATO due to altitude. At 8,000 feet, VVMC might not be able to comply with the requirements for even one FATO, especially if the Steadman MOB is built.