Some Raleigh residents oppose proposed heliport near $1 billion North Hills development
A $1 billion development near North Hills wants to add a place where private helicopters can fly in and out.
The 40-acre apartment complex The Exchange Raleigh at 1010 St. Albans Drive is under construction.
Several neighborhoods are on the other side of St. Albans Drive, and some residents are worried the helicopters will be too noisy.
“I’d rather not have any more helicopters flying over my house,” said Shane Collins, who lives in the Quail Hollow neighborhood nearby.
Collins wants the city to block a developer's request to change the zoning for The Exchange to allow a heliport within the mixed-use development.
Heliports or helipads are places where helicopters can land and take off.
“I don’t see the need for a helicopter,” Collins said. “It’s a luxury.
“It’s a loud noise, and it can be disturbing."
Noise levels
According to the Helicopter Association International (HAI), the sound of a helicopter flying at 500 feet is about 87 decibels.
Sounds at or softer than 70 dB are safe. Sounds louder than 70 dB can harm hearing over time.
Here’s a sample of the decibel level of some common sounds, according to the Hearing Health Foundation:
- 20 dB: Ticking watch
- 30 dB: Leaves rustling/whisper
- 30-50 dB: Average room noise
- 60 dB: Background music
- 70 dB: Average office noise
- 75 dB: Landscaping equipment (from inside the house)
- 80 dB: Inside an airplane/electric vacuum
- 85 dB: City traffic from inside a car / a noisy restaurant
- 90 dB: Hair dryer
- 95 dB: Food processor / school dance / crowing rooster
- 95-100 dB: Approaching subway train or a car horn at 16 feet or pro sports games
- 105-110 dB: Nightclubs and bars / gas-powered leaf blower / an ice cream truck
- 110 dB: Trombone or dog barking nearby
- 110-120 dB: Rock or pop concert / siren
- 130 dB: Jackhammer
- 135 dB: Jet engine from 100 yards
- 140 dB: Gunshot
Helipads in Raleigh
In Raleigh, there are six heliports registered with the Federal Aviation Administration:
- WakeMed hospital at 3000 New Bern Ave.
- WakeMed North hospital at 10000 Falls of Neuse Road
- The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Garner Road location at 3395 Garner Road
- The North Carolina’s Joint Force Headquarters at 1636 Gold Star Drive
- The Raleigh Heliport at 2501 Capital Blvd.
- WRAL’s Sky 5 at 2619 Western Blvd.
“A hospital needs a helicopter,” Collins said. “A news station needs a helicopter.
“The military needs helicopters. I don’t see that we need helicopters flying over the neighborhood.”
Developer Dewitt Carolinas provided WRAL News with a written statement.
“The Exchange Raleigh is a future-focused, innovative development and the goal with this zoning condition change is to allow our development to evolve as real estate needs change,” the develop wrote.
The company said having the option to build a helipad here will allow the project "to compete with other world-class cities to attract large employers.”
Collins calls it an added nuisance in a part of the city that's busy enough on the ground.
“We’ve got enough noise with the roads, and I just don’t think we need any additional helicopters over the neighborhood,” he said.
The zoning change is set to go before the Raleigh City Council for a public hearing on Sept. 5.
Even if the council approves the zoning change, the developer or any companies at The Exchange, would still have to go through a process to get a special permit from the city to build a helipad there.
