§ 13-1-171. DEFINITIONS.

(A)

Terms not otherwise defined in this article have the meaning prescribed by applicable aviation law, including Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5390-2 (Heliport Design Guide), Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5020-1 (Noise Control and Compatibility Planning for Airports), and Appendix A of 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 150.

(B)

In this article:

(1)

APPROACH AND DEPARTURE PATHS means the flight tracks helicopters follow when landing at or departing from a heli-facility.

(2)

APPLICATION means an application for issuance of a heli-facility permit pursuant to this article.

(3)

CATEGORY I means a helistop approved for a cumulative total of 10 or fewer helicopter takeoffs and landings per day and 18 total operations during the period of the heli-facility permit.

(4)

CATEGORY II means a helistop approved for a single specific event of not more than three consecutive days during the period of the heli- facility permit, with a cumulative total of helicopter takeoffs and landings not to exceed eight operations per hour per day. In addition, no more than three approved helicopters may use an approved category II helistop without special consent of the director.

(5)

CATEGORY III means a permanent heliport facility.

(6)

COMMISSION means the Airport Advisory Commission.

(7)

DAY-NIGHT AVERAGE SOUND LEVEL (Ldn) means the 24-hour average sound level, in dB, for the period from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10 dB to sound levels for the periods between midnight and 7 a.m., and between 10 p.m. and midnight, local time.

(8)

dB means decibels, a logarithmic scale for measuring sound intensity.

(9)

DIRECTOR means the Director of the Aviation Department.

(10)

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREA means, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an area that includes important natural resources such as sensitive topographic features (i.e. steep slopes (>15%)), geologic/geomorphic formations, sinkholes and karst terrain, scenic vistas/overlooks/lookouts and public and private forest and woodlands.

(11)

EQUIVALENT SOUND LEVEL (Leq) means the average noise level during a designated period (less than 24 hours).

(12)

FAA means the United States Federal Aviation Administration.

(13)

HELICOPTER means a rotocraft that depends principally on its engine-driven rotors for its horizontal motion.

(14)

HELI-FACILITY means a heliport or a helistop.

(15)

HELI-FACILITY PERMIT means written authorization obtained pursuant to this article for the operation of a heli-facility in the city.

(16)

HELIPORT means the area of land, water, or a structure used or intended to be used permanently for the landing and takeoff of helicopters, together with appurtenant buildings and facilities.

(17)

HELISTOP means a minimally developed heli-facility that is temporarily designated as a landing area for one or more helicopters to be used for the boarding and discharge of passengers or cargo, or for a specific educational, commercial, or community purpose, or for a construction project, and which is not equipped with

(18)

HOSPITAL HELIPORT means a heliport that only serves helicopters engaged in air ambulance service or other hospital related functions.

(19)

INCOMPATIBLE NOISE means anticipated noise measurement from the operations proposed in an application that, based on noise modeling, noise monitoring of heli-facilities in the past, or the department's noise monitoring of test flights in the vicinity of the proposed location for the heli- facility, would be expected to exceed with unreasonable frequency and/or duration the levels indicated below for specific types of noise sensitive areas:

(a)

noise measurement of 65-70 dB or greater for residential, mobile home parks, transient lodgings, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, places of worship, concert halls, outdoor music shells, amphitheaters, or substantially similar land uses; or

(b)

noise measurement of 70-75 dB or greater for governmental services, offices (business and professional), auditoriums, nature exhibits, zoos, or substantially similar land uses; or

(c)

noise measurement of 75-80 dB or greater for livestock farming or breeding, general retail, photo-graphic or optical manufacturing or production, amusement parks, golf courses, parks, riding stables, resorts, water recreation areas camps, or substantially similar land uses; or

(d)

noise measurement of greater than 85 dB for parking, wholesale or retail sales of building materials, hardware or farm equipment, utilities, general manufacturing, or substantially similar land uses;

(e)

provided, however, that the noise measurement reasonably anticipated from the proposed heli-facility's operations shall not be deemed incompatible noise with respect to any particular noise sensitive area if the noise measurement from self-generated noise from that noise sensitive area and/or the ambient noise at that noise sensitive area exceeds the noise measurement reasonably anticipated from the proposed heli-facility's operations.

(20)

NOISE means any sound that is deemed undesirable by an individual.

(21)

NOISE MEASUREMENT means generally the applicable technical standard to be used for incompatible noise, noise modeling, or noise monitoring of a particular type of heli-facility, and means specifically:

(a)

for a category I or category II, the A-weighted equivalent sound level (Leq), measured in accordance with FAA Integrated Noise Model guidelines; and

(b)

for a category III, the yearly day- night average sound level (Ldn), measured in accordance with FAA Integrated Noise Model guidelines.

(22)

NOISE MODEL means a computer model, developed by the FAA (or an FAA approved equivalent), suitable for evaluation of anticipated helicopter noise impacts in the vicinity of a heli-facility. Noise modeling can output either noise contours for an area or noise level at pre-selected locations. The noise output can be either exposure-based, maximum- level-based, or time-based.

(23)

NOISE MONITORING means the analysis, with computerized aircraft noise and flight track data collections and processing systems, of the noise impact of heli-facility operations on noise sensitive areas, using data acquired from helicopter transponders, noise from permanent and portable noise monitors, weather observations, citizen complaints, radar, and other sources.

(24)

NOISE SENSITIVE AREA means land uses identified by FAA Advisory Circular 150/5020-1 (Noise Control and Compatibility Planning for Airports) and Appendix A of 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 150 as noise sensitive areas, including land used for any of the following or substantially similar purposes: residential, mobile home parks, transient lodgings, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, places of worship, auditoriums, concert halls, government services facilities, offices (business or professional), retail businesses, communication facility, livestock farms, ranches, or breeding facilities, outdoor sports arena, spectator sports facilities, outdoor music shells, amphitheaters, nature exhibits, zoos, amusement parks, parks, resorts, camps, riding stables or water recreation areas.

(25)

ONLINE means a centralized link on the department's internet web site from which the public can easily access all information regarding heli- facilities required by this article to be posted or published.

(26)

OPERATION means either one helicopter landing or one helicopter takeoff at a heli-facility.

(27)

OPERATIONAL HOURS means the hours of the day that category II operations may occur between 7:30 A.M. (local) and 8:30 P.M. (local).

(28)

OWNER means a person having a legal or equitable interest in a helicopter, a heli-facility, or a helicopter venture.

(29)

PRIVATE USE HELIPORT means a heliport that is developed for the exclusive use of its owner and persons authorized by the owner.

(30)

PUBLIC USE HELIPORT means a heliport available for use by the general public without the prior approval of the owner or operator.

(31)

REASONABLE FREQUENCY means eight operations per hour per day for a category II heli- facility.

(32)

SPECIAL CONSENT means consent by the director to authorize certain operations as set forth in Section 13-1-181(H).

Source: 2003 Code Section 13-1-291; 1992 Code Section 17-2-291; Ord. 040729-16; Ord. 20121108-051; Ord. 20130620-089; Ord. No. 20141211-204, Pt. 10, 7-1-15 .