Realpolitiks Bellevue

The Bellevue City Council on Monday rejected a moratorium on new helicopter landing stations, voting instead to consider new regulations for such facilities.

Bellevue hasn’t made significant changes to those regulations since adopting an original set of guidelines in 1989, according to a memorandum from city staff.

Residents have been calling for a comprehensive look at the issue since Kemper Development applied for a conditional-use permit to operate a helicopter landing station at the Bank of America building, located near Bellevue Place. The proposed moratorium would not have affected those plans.

The city currently has one helicopter landing facility that supports Overlake Hospital’s trauma facility.

Bellevue code does not allow private helistops in parts of the city designated for residential use, professional offices, and neighborhood businesses.

Landing stations are prohibited outright in the residential and “Old Bellevue” districts of downtown, as well as certain parts of the Bel-Red corridor – with the office-residential and hospital districts being exceptions there.

Many of the residents calling for new regulations say private helistops should only be allowed in industrial areas.

Residents have complained that the proposed Kemper Development helistop would create a nuisance and pose safety risks downtown.

Sound studies have shown that helicopter noise related to the proposed helistop would be comparable to bus traffic. A SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) determination of non-significance was issued for the planned facility.

Bellevue developer John Su appealed the SEPA determination, but later withdrew his case.

The Bellevue hearing examiner granted Kemper Development’s conditional-use permit, but residents appealed that decision to the city council. Su is named as one of the appellants.

A public hearing on the appeal will take place Nov. 2, 8 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall (450 110th Avenue Northeast), with only the appellants and parties of record allowed to present arguments.

Kemper Development’s conditional-use permit would allow only light-turbine helicopters to use the facility while limiting the number of helicopter landings and takeoffs to five per week, prohibiting activity on Sundays and legal holidays, and restricting flight paths to freeways and Northeast Eighth Street.

The permit would also require the company to provide monthly documentation of flight frequency and times for the first year, followed by semi-annual reports thereafter.

A phone line and web site would also have to be put in place to take complaints.