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War is helipad!
Citadel billionaire Ken Griffin currently lands his helicopter on Watson Island in Biscayne Bay, Miami, and is forced to drive nearly ten minutes to board his superyacht, Defy, at his private marina on the other side of the bay.
Naturally, he’s trying to build a helipad on the marina itself. But the residents of the luxury high-rises nearby are fighting back, saying the noise could intermittently make their lives something unacceptably close to marginally uncomfortable.
Now Griffin’s been given a few more weeks to try and win over his neighbors before the city decides whether he’ll get his landing spot — which would put his Star Island home, the marina and the heliport all within five minutes of each other — or if he will be doomed to spend what could amount to dozens of minutes each month in one of his fleet of supercars.
Griffin scored a victory last month when Miami Beach’s land-use committee voted 2-1 to approve the helipad, which passes the matter along to the Miami Beach planning board for the final sign-off.
But, according to the Miami Herald, the city commissioner advised Griffin’s lawyer, who just happens to be a former mayor of Miami Beach, Niesen Kasdin, to ask for more time to win over the revolting locals before going to the board. That request has been granted.
The Herald reports that Griffin’s team has commissioned noise studies on his Airbus H160 “which found that noise from the 13 seconds of takeoffs and landings would be comparable to that of an ordinary conversation on a nearby condominium balcony.” “Those findings have been met with skepticism,” deadpans the newspaper.
“He’s saying that his helicopter is the quietest model, that noise won’t be an issue for us,” John Stimmel, president of the 42-story Icon condominium, told Bloomberg. “I asked ChatGPT if landing helicopters that close will be noisy, and guess what?” Stimmel added. “It will be noisy.”
Griffin expanded his $1 billion plus Florida real estate empire by purchasing the marina in 2023.
Per the Herald, Brian O’Brien, who represents residents at the Yacht Club condos, asked the land use committee: “We are doing all this for one individual? We are upsetting our quality of life so Mr. Griffin can land a little closer to his house?”
The planning board will meet on Nov. 3 to vote on the proposal.