Concession's spin lands helistop support

The fight over a proposed helistop at The Concession Golf Club has landed in favor of the golf course.

Manatee County commissioners approved 5-1 a request by the golf club to install a 100-by-100-foot helistop for helicopter landings during its land-use meeting Feb. 2. The helistop will be located adjacent to the clubhouse, on a grassy patch steps away from the course’s driving range.

“We understand it was a difficult decision for the board,” said Otto Jack Jr., a spokesman for The Concession Golf Club. “We were trying to exercise our land-use rights, and we understand there were a lot of people who took a position adverse to our proposal.”

Jack said the helistop will make travel to the club easier for some members.

Neighbors in the Panther Ridge community, in particular, fought the project for nearly two years, largely through an online petition that garnered about 400 local signatures. They raised concerns about helicopters flying overhead and spooking horses, a safety threat for horses and riders using Panther Ridge’s riding trails, and said the use was not compatible with their neighboring equestrian community.

About a dozen residents attended the meeting to speak against the proposal.

“Everyone should feel safe and at peace where they live,” Panther Ridge’s Cindy Bray said. “This application should not affect me or any of my neighbors in a detrimental way, but it will. This is totally not compatible with our community and is not customarily found at golf courses.”

A handful of The Concession residents and club members spoke in favor of the project.

“I feel very strongly for an entrepreneur to do what he needs to do,” said Lou Marinaccio, a Concession resident. “It will only be used for the occasional opportunities it provides.”

Ultimately, arguments by The Concession’s attorney, Ed Vogler, proved successful. The Concession provided testimony about helicopter flight regulations, sound studies showing lawn mowers and leaf blowers were noisier for neighbors than the helicopter landing at its proposed location and other facts indicating the impact would be negligible. The Concession has developed proposed flight paths it would enforce to direct helicopter pilots onto the property.

Although less than 1% of golf courses nationally have helistops, of Florida’s Top-10 ranked golf courses, three have helistops and five allow helicopter landings, staff said. The Concession is ranked No. 7.

“This is extremely tough because you are talking about many citizens that have voiced their opposition to this project,” said Commissioner Vanessa Baugh, who ultimately supported the helistop proposal.