10-09-00 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 9.2000 the ever changing environment of a hospital neighborhood. She further noted that the neighborhood is affected in countless ways by the activity of the hospital including employees parking their cars in the neighborhood. Ms. Town cited her experience with another helipad service in Kalamazoo and noted the decline in the neighborhood. She asked why this helipad had to be as close to residents as possible. Over the years the residents have seen the hospital change and grow but consideration needs to be made when a helicopter is going to land one hundred twenty (120) feet from the door of a historical house. She stated that she believes that no one is opposed to this emergency helicopter transport. However, with other options available to Memorial, it is unfair to disrupt a neighborhood that has been a cornerstone in the community. In conclusion, she stated that the residents are asking for consideration for their homes. Ms. Cathy Emmel, 1010 Riverside Drive, South Bend, Indiana, read a prepared statement. She noted that Memorial Hospital stated that the Fort Wayne Park View Hospital neighborhood is comparable to South Bend and property values there actually went up after the hospital installed their helicopter service. She further noted that she visited Fort Wayne to see what the area was like and discovered that the first residential street is almost two (2) blocks from the helicopter site and several tall buildings buffer that area. She noted that the streets around the hospital are also arranged differently than in South Bend. She noted that she spoke to several individuals in Fort Wayne who had negative comments about their helicopter service. Ms. Emmel spoke at length about the neighborhood around the hospital in Fort Wayne. She stated that the tactics Memorial Hospital used to try to convince the citizens that this service is needed gives her cause to consider the integrity of their endeavor. She noted that the City of South Bend will not benefit from this service because the helicopter is not going to land in the middle of a neighborhood to pickup a patient. However, the citizens of South Bend will pay the cost and she urged the Council to consider the ramifications of this proposal and deny their petition for a special exception because it will unnecessarily destroy part of one of the oldest neighborhoods in South Bend. Mr. Keith Wishmeier, 308 LaMonte Terrace, South Bend, Indiana, informed the Council that his house is somewhere between three hundred (300) to four hundred (400) feet from the site of the proposed helistop. He noted that this is a tough issue he supports the idea and benefits for this service. He further noted that when he moved into the neighborhood, Memorial Hospital told the residents that the houses along Lafayette were being maintained on the east side as a buffer to protect the integrity of the neighborhood and the hospital. Now, at this location there is a very large parking garage and a parking lot. He noted that the hospital is one of the best neighbors he has ever had and is happy to be living close to the hospital. However, things that are said now change in the future. When the hospital says the helicopter will land one (1) time a day everyone really knows that if the need arises, the helicopter will land more often. He noted that the location needs to be looked at and that is his problem. The neighbors along Lafayette have a right to be concerned about this issue. He stated that if the Council is going to approve this request at its present location he would request that the hospital be asked to purchase the properties on the west side of Lafayette to create the buffer that was originally intended to protect the neighborhood and eliminate the safety problem. Mr. Mike Keene, 1012 Riverside Drive, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he was present not to oppose this service or plans for the helistop because that is not what the residents are concerned about. The residents would like more time to diagnose the situation and he therefore asked the Council to table the matter tonight to give them time to obtain a second opinion. He noted that the residents would like a second opinion and one not paid for by the hospital. He questioned their concern when they can place the helipad one hundred ten (110) feet from a residence. Mr. Keene asked that the Council get clarification before they vote on what the hospital means when they use the term safety zone. He noted that Memorial Hospital has studied this plan for two (2) years but only began working with the neighbors in July. Mr. Keene asked the Council to give the residents time for a second opinion. Mr. Bartholomew Timm, 706 Park Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, informed the Council that he is the President of the Park Avenue Neighborhood Association. He noted that the Board voted in opposition to the location not the existence of a helipad. He stated that three (3) questions must be answered before the Council votes on this issue. Is it safe, will it save lives and what is the rush. Mr. Timm read air ambulance accident statistics and stated his concerns about the flight path and its relation to Madison School. He also stated that no one would definitely say that this service