Riegl’s planned helipad stirs fears of noise, safety in Winter Garden residents

Residents of Brandy Creek and the Oaks at Brandy Lake in Winter Garden are concerned their new neighbor’s plans to build a helicopter pad will lead to noise, safety and environmental issues.

Riegl USA, which moved its headquarters to Winter Garden and celebrated its official opening last week, has proposed to build the helipad at 14525 W. Colonial Drive. Residents want none of that.

The plans will be discussed at a community meeting 6 p.m. Nov. 30 at Winter Garden City Hall. Commissioners will hear from residents and Riegl’s representatives. After the meeting, city staff will present recommendations to the commission, likely at its Dec. 9 meeting.

Riegl USA’s president Johannes Riegl Jr. believes that most concerns can be resolved, but residents hope to stop the plans from ever taking off.

“In my opinion, there’s no justification for the helipad there just because they want their clients to fly in. They can drive from the airport like everybody else,” resident Kimble Bronson, 54, said.

Brandy Creek residents, who did not want to wait for the meeting to have their concerns heard, Nov. 21 met with Winter Garden City Commissioner Ron Mueller, who represents District 2.

“Part of the charm of Winter Garden is our rural nature,” said Winter Garden City Commissioner Ron Mueller, who represents District 2. “There’s an expectation when you come in that you are going to work with the people around you and nature; we say that upfront.”

Residents and Mueller hope the company withdraws its application and works with the city to find a different solution. But if that doesn’t happen, the commissioner hopes that overwhelming opposition at the community meeting will persuade the city to deny the company permission to build the helipad.

“They certainly worked with us very well in building a property and maintaining it. They’ve done a beautiful job; they are the companies we want, but they have proposed an idea that is not beneficial to others,” Mueller said. “We’re really fortunate to have them but there are some things we just can’t allow.”

The company provides LiDAR light detection and ranging equipment or what Riegl describes as a big camera. Its systems can be integrated into all kinds of platforms, including helicopters. Riegl said the purpose of the helipad is to install and check the company’s equipment — not for transportation or for any service or repair.

“It is important that our customers can have those integrations and service reviews on these units done very quickly,” Riegl said. “Being able to land on our facilities with the necessary staff and experts on site is just a timing advantage.”

Residents worry that the noise from the choppers could affect property values, scare their children and pets, and affect their ability to work from home. Michelle Spera, 59, said that the serene and quiet nature of Brandy Creek is why many people moved there and she views the proposal as a threat to that way of life.

“It’s about the integrity of what Winter Garden is, why we all bought our homes here,” Spera said.

Julie Bronson resident, 52, is concerned about the safety of hawks and bald eagles. Riegl said that he had not previously looked into these potential impacts on wildlife but he is serious about environmental protections.

.With people potentially slowing down to watch, or becoming distracted, residents like the Bronsons are worried about accidents.

“Our traffic light at 50 and Avalon Road is a very dangerous intersection and there have been multiple car accidents with fatalities there,” Julie Bronson said. “If that helicopter is coming in and out, I can’t imagine the safety issue that’s going to happen there.”

Riegl said the helipad would be for limited use, but residents including Spera, are skeptical of what that entails.

Mueller explained that the city’s authority primarily encompasses construction permitting. Flight details would fall under the jurisdiction of the FAA, so once built, if the company decided to begin using the helipad frequently, there would be few ways the city could prevent that.

“This isn’t a popular decision. Clearly people are upset about it ...” Mueller said. “I will be absolutely voting against it.”