By NATHAN WHALEN
Staff reporter
Whidbey General Hospital cleared a hurdle in its plans to relocate its helipad when the Coupeville Town Council approved the project at its June 10 meeting.
The approval of a conditional-use permit for the facility paves the way for the hospital to purchase land currently owned by M-D Associates for the helicopter landing area.
Scott Rhine, CEO of Whidbey General Hospital, said he hopes to have the deal on the land closed by July 1. He said the purchase will cost the hospital almost $600,000. That price includes three parcels of land — one of which is currently occupied by a medical office that leased by Dr. Lee Roof.
Due to a shortage of capital funds, Rhine said last week that the hospital will apply for a commercial loan to finance the deal. However, he said rental income from the clinic building — which the hospital will leave in place — will help offset costs.
Hospital officials have wanted to move the helipad to a location closer to the emergency room entrance. The current helipad is located at the northwest corner of the hospital.
During the June 10 public hearing during the council meeting, hospital officials decided land located near the southwest corner of the property was the best fit for the 40-by-40-foot helipad. David Ketchum, principle planner for Airside, a Greenbank-based company that helped design the helipad, said benefits of the location include its proximity to the emergency room, its affordability, and favorable flying conditions.
Other location options considered by the hospital were closer to the emergency room, but were seen by hospital administration as too expensive or too disruptive to the hospital environment.
There was an idea to relocate the helipad to the roof of the hospital. However, Bryan Young, the architect for the helipad, said it wouldn’t be practical because it would require renovating the recently-remodeled emergency room to accommodate items such as an elevator. Young added that a roof-based helipad could be needed in the future as the hospital continues to expand.
Cost estimates for the new helipad are hovering around $20,000, while estimates for two other possible locations ranged from $80,000 to $250,000.
Although a permit for the work was approved unanimously by the Coupeville Town Council, several members of the council expressed concerns with securing the area. The proposed helipad is close to parking areas and buildings that have to be secured when a helicopter comes to transport patients.
According to hospital statistics, there were 155 helicopter takeoffs and landings at the Whidbey General helipad between July 1, 2001, and June 30, 2002. That averages to 1.55 daytime flights per day and 1.85 night flights per day.
Fire station to benefit
Now that the helipad has been approved, discussions can go forward between Whidbey General Hospital and the Central Whidbey Fire District to build an ambulance bay and fire station on the location of the current helipad.
Although plans for the joint venture are still in the conceptual stage, progress has stalled for lack of a conditional-use permit.
The future of Coupeville’s current station is uncertain. District officials found it would be too expensive to renovate the building.
The station’s demolition could become necessary if the town determines the joint building needs more parking, Biller said.
