Hearing This Week Over Kemper's Downtown Helicopter Pad

BELLEVUE, WA - Bellevue residents will get to comment this week on a controversial helistop on top of Kemper Development's downtown building. Neighbors want the city to revoke the helistop's permit, claiming that Kemper has essentially abandoned the facility.

As she has since 2014, Bellevue resident and philanthropist Ina Tateuchi is leading the charge to get the helistop closed.

The city of Bellevue in 2008 granted Kemper Development a conditional permit to operate the helistop. One requirement of that permit was that only twin-engine helicopters could land there - a safety measure to prevent a crash if one engine failed. In 2013, Kemper applied for another conditional permit, but asked that single-engine helicopters be allowed to land there.

In 2014, Tateuchi asked the city to revoke Kemper's conditional permit for the helistop. That led to a court battle between Tateuchi when the city rejected her request. A judge later decided that Bellevue must accept Tateuchi's application to review Kemper's permit. That process began in January 2017.

"I live in Bellevue Tower and downtown has gotten really crowded in the last few years in terms of buildings and people. Any accident caused by the helicopter will be catastrophic. I ask you to revoke the helistop permit," downtown resident Thomas Chan wrote to the city in 2016. His was one of more than a dozen comments submitted in opposition to the helistop.

Tateuchi is arguing that Kemper has abandoned the helistop by not using it. However, the company has kept up with paperwork to keep the helistop legal, according to city records.

The helistop is located on top of Kemper's building at 10500 NE 8th St., which is now home to a Hyatt Regency hotel. The public hearing over the helistop begins Thursday at 6 p.m. in the hearing room at City Hall.

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