Planning Board pulls liftoff switch for proposed rooftop helipad at Northern Westchester Hospital

By DANIELA RYNOTT

The Mount Kisco Planning Board unanimously approved a draft resolution on May 12 authorizing a rooftop helipad atop Northern Westchester Hospital’s Wallace Pavilion, located at 400 East Main St.. Mount Kisco.

Noise had been a central concern raised by board members and residents throughout the review process. To address those concerns, Attorney Leslie Snyder, representing the hospital, introduced acoustical engineer Norman Dotti, principal of Russell Acoustics LLC, who participated in the meeting via Zoom.

Snyder noted that Dotti has more than 50 years of experience and has worked on about 150 helipad or heliport sites, including on hospital rooftops.

Dotti walked the board through a resubmitted acoustical report, explaining that an earlier version contained an error in the building’s elevation, as it had been recorded in feet above sea level rather than ground level. The revised report placed the helipad closer to three measuring points: the hospital entrance; the parking structure; and a nearby residence on Boltis Street.

“As you bring the sound closer to the receiver, the sound level increases,” Dotti said. “It did increase a few decibels.”

The report measures the maximum sound level, or Lmax, at the closest point of approach, when the helicopter is overhead. That peak lasts roughly one second before fading, similar to a passing car or truck, he said. At the hospital’s parking structure and the nearest residence on Boltis Street, actual noise would be five to 10 decibels lower due to shielding from the building.

Board member Peter Alonge asked whether the relative elevations of surrounding structures, including the Boltis Street residence, had been factored into the calculations. Dotti confirmed that they had.

Snyder said that despite the correction, the report’s overall conclusion remained unchanged. 

“The report concludes that this is not going to have any significant adverse noise impact,” she said.

Hospital representatives have said that they expect to use the helipad about 12 times a year on average to transport patients to and from the hospital who need emergency care. The hospital has been using a portion of nearby Leonard Park, but that requires emergency services personnel, including the use of the Westchester County Police and the village’s volunteer fire department and EMTs to help clear the site in the park. The helipad will be used exclusively for medical emergencies.

Previously, board member Barbara Roppolo had said that the noise factor of the hospital helipad was a worthwhile tradeoff for no longer expending those community resources.

“I live right behind the hospital. I hear helicopters go by, maybe a little vibration,” Roppolo said at the April 14 public hearing. “We already get that, so we also need to remember the strain on our resources as a community — the fire department, the police, the EMTs — that have to go to the park every time there’s an emergency.” 

The board also discussed whether the report needed to bear Dotti’s professional engineer stamp. It was determined that it wasn’t required given that Dotti had signed the report, that his credentials were entered into the record and he had addressed the board. 

Among the conditions imposed by the board on the hospital was the deadline for signed plans and the start of construction, which was extended at the applicant’s request from six months to one year from the filing date earlier this year. The board also added a requirement for a survey identifying the height of the building and the finished elevation of all proposed rooftop features, in part because the village could not locate the original building plans.

The board briefly discussed whether the resolution should address the use of Leonard Park after the helipad opens. Members concluded that fell outside the Planning Board’s authority and would be a matter for the Mount Kisco Village Board.

Interior improvements at the hospital, including a pilot lounge and elevator modifications, will be handled separately through the village Building Department.