Local News in Brief : Costa Mesa : City Votes Permission for Helipad at Times
The City Council voted 3 to 1 to permit The Times Orange County Edition to operate a helipad on its Sunflower Avenue property.
The measure, which allows an average of two flights a day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., is subject to approval by the state Division of Aeronautics and the county Airport Land Use Commission, said Lee Ambers, project consultant. The flight restrictions do not apply to emergencies.
Ernie Vitucci, general manager of the Times Orange County plant, citing an estimated $1,000-per-hour cost of renting a helicopter, said he expects the newspaper to have only about three flights per month. Helicopters will be used to shuttle company executives, and to transport printing machinery and news crews in emergencies.
The council stipulated that the newspaper may not use the route to or from John Wayne Airport and that only helicopters with four or more rotor blades may be flown because they are quieter than those with fewer blades, Vitucci said.
The city Planning Department will review the conditional-use permit every six months for the first year, and once a year thereafter.
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