Jon Gonsoulin flies his Robinson R44 helicopter above Houma Monday evening.
Photo Credit: Julia Rendleman/Staff
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A resident of a Houma subdivision has secured permission to build a helicopter landing pad near his home, a move that has some neighbors upset.
Jon Gonsoulin, 45, president of LeBeouf Bros. Towing, got the OK Monday at Terrebonne's Board of Adjustment meeting.
The decision allows Gonsoulin to put a helipad on his 18-acre residential property in Mulberry Estates, a subdivision along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Gonsoulin has flown his helicopter on and off the property several times, kicking up dust, rankling neighbors and parish officials and racking up at least two violation notices. Those notices came from the parish attorney and Jennifer Robinson, senior planner for the Planning and Zoning Department.
Gonsoulin, in turn, asked for a variance, or special exception to the land-use law, that would allow him to build a helipad so he can take off and land from his property.
The request was decided by the Adjustment Board, a separate body from the Houma-Terrebonne Regional Planning Commission. The former handles only zoning variances and exceptions while the latter makes the zoning regulations.
To get an exception, a number of conditions must be met. The exception cannot impact surrounding property, nor can it affect the public's health, safety or welfare.
Parish staff said they got seven phone calls prior to the meeting from neighbors opposing the request, but only two critics spoke at Monday's hearing.
Reuben Williams, one of the neighbors opposing the plan, told the board the decision could set a precedent, allowing commercial businesses to set up shop in the neighborhood.
“If I wanted to live near an airport, I would have lived on the east side of town,” he said. “Everyone in this room is going to be affected by the way this hearing goes. What will this board do once someone wants to put a beauty shop in the neighborhood? … They'll say you allowed this to happen with a helicopter, and that person's going to leave skid marks on the way to district court.”
Safety, noise and dust were among the Williams' other stated concerns.
The critics were far outnumbered, however, by the more than 50 signatures contained on a petition presented by Gonsoulin's attorney. Gonsoulin's supporters include state Rep. Gordon Dove, Terrebonne Parish Councilman, parish-president candidate Clayton Voisin and Tim Fanguy, who is running for Voisin's council seat.
Gonsoulin, who has been piloting for more than 20 years, said the four-seat helicopter is not for commercial use.
Several of his nearest neighbors said they cannot hear it from inside their homes.
Gonsoulin also proposed a flight pattern that takes the aircraft away from buildings.
“Safety is not an issue,” Gonsoulin said. “I'll be flying out over the Intracoastal, and if there were a mechanical failure, it wouldn't be over someone's house. I'd be swimming.”
Houma attorney Berwick Duval is among the neighbors who support Gonsoulin's variance request, which he sees as a compromise.
Had the request been denied, he said, Gonsoulin planned to ask that a portion of his property be rezoned as light industrial.
Had that happened, Duval said, having five acres of industrial land nearby would adversely affect the value of his home.
“This proposal is something no one's really happy with, but everyone can live with, especially if it means we don't have to go to the Parish Council, or, God forbid, court someday,” he said. “A helicopter truly does not bother us. But rezoning bothers the hell out of us.”
The Adjustment Board voted 3-2 to allow the variance. Katie Sims, Pete Konos and Joe Harris voted in favor. David Blum and Jay Tipton voted against it. Blum wanted restrictions on the helipad's placement and Tipton recommended consulting the parish attorney before deciding on the issue.
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