New Hospital Helipad Sees Heavy Action

Didn't seem like those copters were flying over Hwy 101 to Junipero when at ~11:30pm, the whole building vibrated and swayed. It was like Apocalypse Now with a frequent parade of machines beating the air into submission.

Any chance this will force my rent to go down?

Petty complaints about life-saving necessities should tell you complainers it's time to move or shut up.

Drax buddy, I'm all for life-saving necessities. AMR, which screams down Castillo Street regularly has taken me to Cottage hospital. I get it. But that doesn't mean I'm not permitted to comment on the noise-level change experienced during the night. It's not like I moved next to an airport that already existed. The helipad is new. I don't believe the choppers were complying with the required flight path. And 5 in one night, including one circling is not the average 2 per week anticipated. So let's just chill a bit and be friends ok?

On Sunday morning at 5:45 am, we were awakened by the sounds of helicopters landing and taking off at Cottage Hospital. The helicopters continued that evening, with as many as three in the air hovering over the Oak Park neighborhood. On Tuesday evening, from 7 pm to 1:45 am the same. The helicopters were not following the path agreed on by the city and by our neighborhood group. They seemed to be flying at random. Cottage Hospital and the FAA have agreed to a designated route for helicopters landing and departing the pad. If this route is not followed, the hospital has disobeyed federal law. If the Independent story is accurate (and I am sure it is!), to decide to transport patients to other hospitals late at night is a frightening decision and, if other helicopters were waiting to land, chaotic.

We long argued that the emergency helicopter landing pads should not be at this hospital, situated as it is in a dense urban neighborhood, but should instead have been located at Goleta Cottage Hospital, so obvious a choice as it is distant from neighborhoods, on a busy commercial street and
not far from the airport. Of course, the argument that complaints about noise, and the obvious errors in judgment and timing made by the hospital, adds up to being "against" emergency services is nonsensical.

Questions: What were the emergency situations requiring helicopters (no names needed of course)?
What is the cost of an emergency helicopter per mile or from (x) city?
What amount does Cottage received from this fee?
I hope this is taken very seriously

The property value around the hospital is definitely going down. They didnt loose people when they had to land near by or in oxnard. Thank god im a renter and i am not stuck here. Im just glad i dont have PTSD or i would be crawling around in the bushes. At least the ambulances shut off their sirens. Not once in three years did it seem like i was living near a hospital. So Draxor are you gonna give me the $2000 I need for a security deposit to move. Didnt think so, and thats why im going to continue to complain. I like how Cottage blamed the other helicopter company for the noise. P.S. I dont want to be friends with you draxtor.

I live near the train station - and knew that when I took the apartment - I would have to get used to the train. Several years later, the 3 am freight sometimes wakes me up, the station workers' voices amplify to the level I can hear them inside my house, and sometimes the conductors lay on the horn a bit excessively - but I knew that I would have to deal with it going into the neighborhood. I feel for those that live near Cottage.

In fact, even though I don't live anywhere near Cottage, I too was kept up all last night by excessive helicopter noise. It sounded like we were being invaded from the sky. Several friends were kept up all night as well in areas not directly near the hospital. Of course it is important to get an injured person to the hospital quickly but if this is going to create excessive noise and make us feel like we are living on the set of M*A*S*H, then we need some answers.

Perhaps we could give Cottage the benefit of the doubt and see if they can work the bugs out per their spokesperson's comments. The route has always been the prescribed route but clearly they need to communicate that effectively to all involved. I am pleased that they put the helipad to work even if it is before the official move of patients to the new facility. The need sort of speaks for itself. to land in Goleta is to put them 15-20 critical minutes out from the trauma center where every second counts. Let's see how it evolves.

They weren't landing at Goleta. They were landing at La Cumbre Junior High before the helipad opened.

I'm up on the Riviera and think I just saw another chopper land at Cottage a few minutes ago. It was flying west along the freeway, then headed north. Two very bright red flashing lights. Lost it behind some trees at it was landing.

Confirmed that a helicopter came over downtown around that time, and again a few minutes ago. That's 6 or 7 flights in 2 days. So much for 2 per week.

And just ignore Draxor. He's got over 1100 posts, and all of them are negative attention seeking. He's the Indy's most prolific troll.

User profile: OakPark3
Joined: Feb. 8, 2012
Comments posted: 1 (view all)

Cottage Hospital is not a good neighbor in my opinion. In addition to the increased noise and traffic issues that the expansion has caused , we still cant park in front of our own house many days due to overflow employee parking. We live over three blocks away.What happened to providing adequate employee parking? Now choppers circling over our houses , rattling windows at all hours? WTF Cottage ?

Agree with OakPark3, geeber and others, "hospital has disobeyed Federal law" as a start; too many daily flights in recent days, etc. To date, Cottage has not given accurate estimates to neighborhood on anticipated frequency and arrangements with helicopter groups Cottage is making in private.
Cottage has the responsibility for insuring pilots follow the designated route or prohibit such contracted pilots from landing. What is Cottage Hospital doing besides being "unreachable" to inquiries by public.
THANKS TO INDEPENDENT FOR FOLLOWING THIS SUBJECT

Cottage is doing what Cottage always does--saying one thing/doing another, and ignoring the wishes of the people affected. Reminds me of the St. Francis debacle from years ago.

It is WAY too loud and unacceptable for those who have to live in the area and are already dealing with hospital-related issues. Yes, people with emergencies should be treated promptly. As another commenter asked, would be interesting to learn what all the emergencies are that seem to take place within a two hour period of the late evening. And, yes, I'm sure that money/fees/ payments of some sort are involved.

I foresee a class action lawsuit and Cottage loosing the helipad.

User profile: compadre
Joined: Feb. 9, 2012
Comments posted: 1 (view all)

User profile: DCS101
Joined: Feb. 8, 2012
Comments posted: 2 (view all)

I am shocked, SHOCKED that the cottage medical industrial complex was, uh, less than candid abut the impacts they promised would not happen to this residential neighborhood.

Just nothing like the whump-whump-whump of a Huey landing pad.

I live in the Samarkand adjacent and above the Cottage Hospital neighborhood. In December I noticed some really BRIGHT Christmas light that someone had put up outside my bedroom window. Oh... and then I figured it out...Cottage Hospital had lit up the new Heli Pad. Those light are never going to go away... and they stream into my bedroom! But I knew the lights and Heli Pad are for the greater good and so I have adjusted my mindset and have learned to accept the New Reality.
Remember that we have lived through 5+ years of Cottage Hospital construction sounds, hammering and banging and heavy equipment being moved around. The work will continue into 2017.
Then came Tuesday night! YIKES! When the first Helicopter started closing in I was excited to see how this was going to work. I ran to the bedroom window and I said a Prayer for the person who had to be lifted in. But that night was crazy for those of us who live in and around the Hospital.
I know all of you have experienced that car that pulls up next to you with the stereo blasting. The thumping of the Bass and the Treble make it so that you can hardly think! You can't hear your own music in your own car because they have their music rapping so loudly! Don't you feel like your own personal space is being invaded? But thank goodness you know that the meeting will be brief.
Now imagine that sound x 10! That's what it seemed like around here on Tuesday night. Every window in our home was rattling. The Thump Thump of the Helicopter blades was pounding through the house. You had the to turn the TV volume up loud! The pilots were circling above. Not just along Hwy 101 but from all directions. First in our backyard, then around from the West and across the front yard, then right over the house. This went on for 4 hours of comings and goings and hovering and landing.
I was trying to get information through Websites of KEYT and Ed Hat. Believe me I was concerned! I watched KEYT @ 11:00 to see if there was any information. Nothing... Yes when you hear the Helicopters overhead you do worry and Tuesday was an uneasy night!
Also take note that by their own admission Cottage Hospital didn't know what was going on. At least two of the patients were being transported "outbound" that means someone from Cottage must have called for the Helicopters. But Cottage administration was unaware that some of the "copters" were on their way inbound? Kind of makes you wonder & worry!
Let's hope Cottage gets the kinks worked out sooner that later. It's no laughing matter to have helicopters circling around the neighborhood, running low on fuel and waiting to land.
Please a little sympathy and concern for your Santa Barbara neighbors would be greatly appreciated!

why was the cottage hospital expansion allowed to happen?! It was obvious they were going to ruin an otherwise nice area to live! How did this happen? It should have been put in by the airport.

I noticed at about 5:28 in the morning a few days ago a helicopter going around in the neighborhood of Cotttage Hospital in Solvang. I don't know if it was Cottage Hospital related but in the six years I've lived in the neighborhood I'd never had this happen and the other night when working in Santa Barbara in the Mission Canyon area I noticed a chopper going around in circles at about 10 O'clock.

To give the benefit of the doubt perhaps they were practicing landing but why at such odd hours assuming this is the case?

Question? Is the Helo-Pad set-up for emergency refill of FireFighting helo's?

I'm sorry that your sleep patters have been disturbed. Those d bags dying in the helos should think twice before getting in accidents that require them to be helivaced to live, what selfish asses. I mean wtf, the good residents of oak park just bought property or chose to rent right near a hospital...who would ever have guessed that their would be loud noises like ambulance and police sirens and maybe even helicopters. I can't believe how selfish these people are to put their own lives over peoples sleep.

I always love it when someone posts an indignant rant before reading anything.

They need to blow off steam Etna.

What is the alternative? If flying someone to the hospital will save their life, what other option is there?

Also, when choppers are coming/going, it's not as though they will be spending lots of time spinning their blades and making noise; they will want to hurry and get the patient/s to their destination.

Finally, how many flights are there in a given time frame? Enough to deprive people of sleep? These issues need to be discussed.

Here's article about NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING happening this Monday night about this: http://www.independent.com/news/2012/...

NOTE comments posted there!

The meeting Monday night was artfully managed by Cottage staff. They apologized for the extra flights. That isn't the issue. The issue is we now have an airport right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It is a good thing for the hospital and the community, but very bad for close neighbors. The question is, who should pay for this impact? Nearby residents will see major loss of property values, decline in quality of life, and serious expenses to install double-glazed windows and other sound-reduction modifications in order to reclaim sleep. The whole community should chip in, along with Cottage, to provide some remedy. Hospitals in other cities have been successfully sued for damages. Some had to buy up the effected properties. Let's have a fee imposed, say $5000. per landing or take-off -- to gradually develop a fund to help neighbors with the financial impact of this valuable improvement in local healthcare.

“I hope we can assure members of the community that we’re here to save lives, not disturb them.”

I hope that works out too. I can understand that change is difficult to swallow; and I can understand that these noises and lights are disturbing, but come on people! There are dying folks on those flights! It's not just someone toying around. Some things just cannot be scheduled out or limited! "Sorry Jack, but we can't get you to somewhere else to save your life because we've already done our max. number of flights and it's not within our allowable flight hours." Do you really feel okay with doing something like that? Life or inconvenience? Which one should win out?

I too was woken by the helicopters. And then I went back to sleep. I've also been woken by the train, by the city bus going by, and quite often by coyotes. I also understand that I live in a city, and cities are loud.

In the past two months I've had two healthy friends unexpectedly need life-saving specialized operations that couldn't be performed at Cottage. They were both taken to other hospitals. Those are good people - people who have lots of loved ones; people who do a lot of good in this world.

Let's not forget what these choppers are doing - saving lives.