Brea : Residents Protest Bank’s Plan to Build a Helipad

In one row of seats in the Brea-Olinda High School auditorium sat nine officials from Security Pacific National Bank’s operations center. Filling the rest of the room were more than 300 residents protesting a proposal to build a helicopter pad at the center, which is situated at 275 S. Valencia Ave.

The confrontation Tuesday night was the first of at least two Planning Commission hearings on the helipad proposal.

“It (the helicopter) does nothing for the community,” resident James L. Stafford told commission members. “I can hear it now, dogs barking at helicopters (throughout the) week.”

Residents complained of potential noise and pointed to a draft environmental impact report prepared for the city that said 35% of the affected area could experience sleep disruption and 10% could be awakened during the eight to 10 helicopter round-trip flights a day. Proposed flights would be from 2:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 2:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays.

Bank representative Roger Grable said operations center officials have questioned the findings of the report. The bank hired its own consultant, who said the project would contribute 1/100th of the noise level permitted by the city, he said.

The residents’ main complaints centered on the potential for noise and depreciation of property values, and they contended that enforcement of the flights’ proposed altitudes and flight course would be difficult to maintain.

A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Wednesday confirmed one of the residents’ fears--that the helicopter need not maintain any specific altitude. Despite the flexibility, however, helicopters used for commercial purposes usually adhere to certain routes and altitudes, FAA spokeswoman Barbara Abels said.