Plan for Helistop at University Hospitals Gets a Lift

University Hospitals will soon be taking flight in Twinsburg.

Tuesday night City Council unanimously approved University Hospitals’ request to place a helistop on their property at 8820 Commons Blvd. after receiving approval from both the planning commission and board of zoning appeals.

The helistop will only be used for outgoing patients in emergency situations and UH representatives said they only anticipate an average of three flights per month.

Very few residents have expressed concern over the helistop, but those who have said they worry about the sound levels of helicopters, the wind created by the blades, and the length of time they will be active at the landing pad.

Larry Finch, the director of community planning and development, took a decibel reader to one of the test flights. As he was standing in the building next to the hospital, he said noise wasn’t an issue at all.

“The decibel meter didn’t even register,” Finch said. “It has to be above 50 decibels to register. Fifty decibels is basically a quiet conversation.”

Finch said the highest reading he saw was at 82 decibels from his position in the second floor of the hospital at the window closest to where the helicopter took off, in only a matter of seconds.

“That’s basically a loud conversation,” Finch said.

Concerns with noise as well as blowing created by the blades will be removed with the correct flight pattern.

“The flight pattern was also a question and I think that was properly addressed,” Ward 3 Councilman Ted Yates said.  “The flights of the helicopters are directed to come down the I-480 interchange and enter the hospital area versus flying directly over residential or commercial businesses adjacent to it.”

Because the city only permits helistops, helicopters will have a short turnaround time and will be forced to shut down after 10 minutes of idling.

“This will not be used to dock the helicopter for any length of time,” Finch said.

The site will also have a 4-foot-high fence and evergreen trees surrounding the pad for additional buffering.

A spokesperson for University Hospitals said they are still discussing the timeline as to when construction of the helistop will begin.