They say helicopters are noisy and disruptive and would harm property values and the peace and quiet in the neighborhood.
Medical helicopters provide critical assistance and transport during some emergencies when every minute counts.
“Sometimes the quickest way to transport a patient to receive that lifesaving care is by medical helicopter,” said John Weimer, of Kettering Health Network, which owns the medical center.
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Earlier this year, a notice for a North Central Priority Land Use board meeting was mailed out to residents who live near Grandview Medical Center.
The notice stated that the hospital wanted to install a 6,000-square-foot concrete slab for a new air handling unit. The notice also said phase 2 of the project would add a new three-story building with a helipad on the rooftop.
City of Dayton staff and Grandview officials said the new building and heliport information was inaccurate and mistakenly included.
A revised notice with no mention of a new building or helipad was sent out.
“The plan for a helipad was inadvertently included in the development plan, it was never our intention for that to be included in the plan, which is why we took it out and sent a letter to the neighborhood associations to clarify our plans,” said Kelly Fackel, vice president of the Grandview Foundation.
But the notice alarmed multiple residents who live near the hospital in the Five Oaks neighborhood.
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George Stamaty 64, who lives on Belmonte Park North, said he worries the outdoor slab will be the foundation for a new structure with a helipad on top.
Stamaty said he attended the land use board meeting where Grandview’s architect and officials suggested a heliport only is in the planning stage but it could be put in within the next two, three or possibly 10 years.
Stamaty said he believes the hospital will pursue a helipad, but he wants Grandview to scrap those plans, saying many neighbors oppose the project.
He said most helipads aren’t usually so close to residential neighborhoods, and helicopters generate a lot of unwanted noise and dust. He said he fears property values will tumble because no one wants to live so close to something so disruptive.
Grandview proposed a helipad in plans submitted in 2009, but it was not approved, according to city of Dayton staff.
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In January 2016, Grandview was scheduled to appear before the Dayton Plan Board for a general development plan update requesting a new helipad.
However, the hospital withdrew the request after residents in the neighborhood complained about the proposal, among other reasons, according to city staff and neighborhood leaders.
The moment the medical center starts thinking about installing one, it will let neighbors and the city know, said Fackel, with the Grandview Foundation.
“When the time comes to expand our facilities or make changes to the physical plant that will impact our neighbors, we pledge to share our plans with neighbors in advance, and to collect feedback in order to minimize negative impacts on our community,” she said.
Since the closing of Good Samaritan Hospital in northwest Dayton, Grandview Medical Center’s emergency department and trauma volume has increased not only in West Dayton, but in communities across western Montgomery County and beyond, said Weimer, with Kettering Health Network.
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Sometimes, patients need to be transported to the closest trauma center quickly, and minutes can mean the difference between life and death or permanent damage or a complete recovery when a patient has a serious health issue, Weimer said.
Grandview always has been a good partner to the Five Oaks neighborhood, and if and when it pursues a helipad, the medical center will go through a public process that should provide ample opportunity for community feedback, said Bill Marvin, president of the Five Oaks Neighborhood Improvement Association.
“We have a good relationship with them,” he said. “We’ve built up trust.”
Neighbors’ opinions are divided on a helipad, and while a few residents are very vocal in their opposition, many people in Five Oaks aren’t particularly concerned about the idea or believe the addition could benefit an important institution and improve medical care in the community, Marvin said.
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