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Hinsdale, IL —
Passionate pleas and expert opinion helped persuade Hinsdale’s Plan Commission to push forward what has become a controversial plan to built a helicopter pad.
Adventist Hinsdale Hospital’s plan to build the helicopter pad is part of a proposed $75 million expansion project.
After listening to more than five hours of testimony from plan supporters and opponents during the course of two meetings, the Hinsdale Plan Commission gave its approval Monday, Jan. 13, for a text amendment and a special-use permit to allow construction of a helistop atop the hospital’s existing parking deck.
The plan now goes to the Zoning and Public Safety Committee, which next meets at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25.
Commissioners voting in favor of the controversial plan said the potential to save lives outweighed concerns regarding noise, safety and the potential impact the helistop might have on property values.
“Transferring critically ill patients trumps all the negatives,” said Neale Byrnes, Plan Commission chairman.
At Monday’s meeting, commissioners heard an emotional appeal from resident Katie Mosquera in support of the helistop.
“There were eight people transported from Hinsdale Hospital last year, and my husband was one of them,” Mosquera said.
Mosquera said her husband was struck by a car in April while riding a bicycle in Hinsdale. Once in Hinsdale Hospital’s emergency room, doctors said he needed more specialized care. They ordered him transferred to Loyola University Medical Center, a Level I trauma center, in Maywood.
Mosquera spoke through tears as she detailed the ordeal.
“Going from Hinsdale Hospital to the Spinning Wheel helistop we had to pass The Lane School, where our daughter was attending school. I prayed my daughter would not see us,” Mosquera said. “My husband suffered severe brain trauma, and my life has been turned upside down.”
Mosquera said the Dec. 9 meeting left her in disbelief.
“When I heard some of the discussion (at the Dec. 9 meeting), I couldn’t believe people could be bothered by the noise of a helicopter. This is a necessity — tragedy does not discriminate,” Mosquera said.
Another Hinsdale resident, Patty McKay, told how her daughter had to be transported to University of Chicago Medical Center from Hinsdale Hospital.
Her child received treatment and survived, but not before McKay spent several harrowing moments wondering if her daughter would make it.
“The fright and anxiety is like no other, but we were blessed with the outcome. When it is your child or parent (in the helicopter), the sound of helicopter wings is the sound of angel wings,” McKay said.
Passionate pleas and expert opinion helped persuade Hinsdale’s Plan Commission to push forward what has become a controversial plan to built a helicopter pad.
Adventist Hinsdale Hospital’s plan to build the helicopter pad is part of a proposed $75 million expansion project.
After listening to more than five hours of testimony from plan supporters and opponents during the course of two meetings, the Hinsdale Plan Commission gave its approval Monday, Jan. 13, for a text amendment and a special-use permit to allow construction of a helistop atop the hospital’s existing parking deck.
The plan now goes to the Zoning and Public Safety Committee, which next meets at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25.
Commissioners voting in favor of the controversial plan said the potential to save lives outweighed concerns regarding noise, safety and the potential impact the helistop might have on property values.
“Transferring critically ill patients trumps all the negatives,” said Neale Byrnes, Plan Commission chairman.
At Monday’s meeting, commissioners heard an emotional appeal from resident Katie Mosquera in support of the helistop.
“There were eight people transported from Hinsdale Hospital last year, and my husband was one of them,” Mosquera said.
Mosquera said her husband was struck by a car in April while riding a bicycle in Hinsdale. Once in Hinsdale Hospital’s emergency room, doctors said he needed more specialized care. They ordered him transferred to Loyola University Medical Center, a Level I trauma center, in Maywood.
Mosquera spoke through tears as she detailed the ordeal.
“Going from Hinsdale Hospital to the Spinning Wheel helistop we had to pass The Lane School, where our daughter was attending school. I prayed my daughter would not see us,” Mosquera said. “My husband suffered severe brain trauma, and my life has been turned upside down.”
Mosquera said the Dec. 9 meeting left her in disbelief.
“When I heard some of the discussion (at the Dec. 9 meeting), I couldn’t believe people could be bothered by the noise of a helicopter. This is a necessity — tragedy does not discriminate,” Mosquera said.
Another Hinsdale resident, Patty McKay, told how her daughter had to be transported to University of Chicago Medical Center from Hinsdale Hospital.
Her child received treatment and survived, but not before McKay spent several harrowing moments wondering if her daughter would make it.
“The fright and anxiety is like no other, but we were blessed with the outcome. When it is your child or parent (in the helicopter), the sound of helicopter wings is the sound of angel wings,” McKay said.
Commission member Lisa Moore said her concerns were laid to rest following assurances from two experts representing the hospital.
A noise survey prepared by Chicago-based Barry Technologies Inc. and a change in the proposed text amendment limiting the use of the helistop to outgoing-only flights provided Moore with a comfort zone to approve the plan, Moore said.
“I had a couple of concerns and wasn’t comfortable with the old noise study. And I had concerns over the possibility the hospital could increase its trauma level from two to one,” Moore said. “But the noise, while a nuisance, would be minimal, and a change in the text amendment wording has changed,” Moore said.
Commissioner Michael Nelson said the good outweighs the bad.
“Concerns over real estate values is not compelling. Flights would average one a month, compared to 12 to 15 trains a day, so the noise concern was not germane,” Nelson said.
The hospital is located at 120 N. Oak St., just north of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line.
Commissioner Julie Crnovich said her vote against was a difficult decision.
“This isn’t about noise and property values. I am concerned about the safety. I always thought the helistop would be more appropriate near the parking area east of Oak Street,” Crnovich said.
One opponent suggested Hinsdale Hospital and La Grange Memorial Hospital — both administered by Adventist — should merge.
“The current location of the hospital is not the best location for a health care facility. It is rather inaccessible, not on a major street,” said Jane Dillon, who said she has worked at Hinsdale Hospital for more than 20 years.
Dillon said two options would be to relocate Hinsdale Hospital or merge the two hospitals.
“La Grange has plenty of room for expansion,” Dillon said.
Cindy Cimo, a Hinsdale resident, said the hospital has successfully transferred patients from the Spinning Wheel site in the past and should not change.
Hospital officials said a new helistop is needed at the hospital to reduce the time it takes to transfer patients from Hinsdale to other facilities.
The expansion plan calls for the construction of a new patient wing on the south side of the facility, and reducing the number of patient rooms from 358 to 290 — all private rooms.
