Residents in a quiet, rural North Texas town attended a town meeting to speak out against one neighbor’s desire to add a helipad to their property.
DOUBLE OAK, Texas — It’s shaping up to be a long and contentious night in the quiet town of Double Oak. A public hearing has drawn an unusually large and passionate crowd — all to speak out against a proposed helipad.
70 residents signed up to speak at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, nearly all of them opposing a homeowner’s request to install a private helistop on their property. The turnout was one of the largest in recent memory, according to one commissioner.
The Planning and Zoning Commission for Double Oak has three applications to decide pertaining to the property. It first denied subdividing the 15-acre parcel into five parts because of discrepancies in the sizing of the land. It also approved changing the zoning for that land.
The meeting started at 7:00 p.m., but the portion that the vast majority of the residents arrived for on the helistop didn’t start until after 9:00 p.m.
Many residents expressed concerns that the helistop would disrupt the peaceful, small-town atmosphere that defines Double Oak.
“In the middle of a busy DFW metroplex, this is heaven. We have planning and zoning rules for a reason,” said homeowner James Hering. James and his wife have lived in town for more than 10 years. They live practically right across the road from their newest neighbor.
The issue has sparked widespread pushback, with hundreds of signs posted around town reading: “Vote No to the Helipad.”
The property owner behind the proposal, identified in town documents as Bill Scrivner, did not attend the meeting, but a representative spoke on their behalf. According to the representative, a recent helicopter test flight produced a noise level between 80 and 97 decibels measured 100 and 400 feet away, respectively — roughly equivalent to a “lawnmower.”
Some residents during public comment disagreed with that assessment.
“This is a situation where you’ve got the needs of the many clearly outweighing the needs of a few… or one,” said James Hering, a Double Oak resident.
The Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to make a recommendation on the proposal by the end of the night. The matter will then move to the Double Oak Town Council, which is scheduled to take up the issue on August 18.
Even if the commission denies the request, the town council can approve the special use permit with a supermajority vote or 4 out of 5 approving votes.
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