Hearing set for hospital helipad

Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO

By MARTIN WILBUR

A public hearing on the proposed helipad atop Northern Westchester Hospital has been scheduled for next month after recent discussion of the potential noise and light impacts between the Mount Kisco Planning Board and the applicant’s representatives.

The board will take comments regarding the rooftop helipad on Tuesday, April 14, to give residents a chance to weigh in on the project. Northern Westchester Hospital is pitching the idea to transport severely ill or injured patients to and from the hospital more efficiently. Currently, nearby Leonard Park is used for the roughly 12 emergency landings and takeoffs a year, but requires assistance from the Mount Kisco Fire Department and the local ambulance corps to clear space.

Since first appearing last month when given direction by the Planning Board to focus on the impacts, the hospital formally submitted a site plan, said Attorney Leslie Snyder, who represents Northern Westchester Hospital in the matter. It would also need approval from the Architectural Review Board and must be referred to the Westchester County Planning Board.

“As you know, the purpose of the helipad is for efficiency purposes and to have better care for the residents of Mount Kisco and the surrounding community that rely on the hospital on a daily basis,” Snyder said.

In addition to providing lifesaving care more quickly, Snyder argued that the helipad reduces the burden on local volunteer emergency responders and minimizes disruptions to the community such as park closures and traffic tie-ups.

At the March 12 meeting, Architect Tim Johnson showed a videotape of a helicopter landing in Leonard Park and one at another Northwell hospital in Manhasset on Long Island to help members more accurately visualize the operation. 

Board Chairman Michael McGuirk supported an acoustical study for potential noise disturbances.

“The quality of the noise definitely has an impact on the way we experience it, the pitch, the timbre, all these things, so for me, I would like to have more of a qualitative analysis of the noise,” McGuirk said. 

Snyder responded that the hospital would conduct a full acoustical study if required, but helicopters have already been coming into the community for years to the park without much disturbance.

“It’s not like you don’t have this and suddenly this will appear,” she said. “You’re experiencing this. It’s going on in the park, so it’s the same sound; it’s not going to be a different sound.”

A majority of members concluded that a full acoustical study was unnecessary, but Mount Kisco’s consulting engineer, Anthony Oliveri, recommended that the board require the applicant to measure decibel levels at key locations, such as at the base of the eight-story hospital building at 400 East Main St., and at the closest residence.

Since transports could take place at night, McGuirk instructed the hospital’s consultants to measure the effects of lights from a landing at various altitudes to avoid unnecessary illumination of the area. The applicant agreed.

The Northern Westchester Hospital helipad would support a helicopter up to 55 feet long and 16,000 pounds. 

Flight paths to and from the roof would be determined by the Federal Aviation Administration, Snyder said.