- Bethlehem Township officials approved expansion land plans and a helipad relocation for St. Luke's Anderson Campus
- The panel unanimously approved both motions
- The temporary helipad would likely see over a year of use during construction of the new hospital wing, officials say
BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. — After two different conditional use hearings across two months, the Bethlehem Township commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to approve the temporary relocation of the Medevac helipad during the construction of a new wing at St. Luke’s Anderson Campus.
The hospital campus is located near Route 33.
The commissioners also wholly agreed to approve land development plans for “Campus Wing Three,” allowing for a 146-bed, five-level development to be located between the current Women & Babies Pavilion on site as well as another building close by that’s also slated for expansion.
The project was brought forward to the commissioners in July but was ultimately placed on hold for administrative review. It came before the panel again for conditional use hearings in both August and September.
St. Luke’s attorney Steven Boell has said that relocating would benefit employees of the hospital as well as those they serve, adding new possibilities to the campus' services, which include a medical office, cancer center, women & babies pavilion and more.
The temporary helipad would be placed to the northeast of its current location, and see use for 12-15 months during construction of the new wing, according to development plans. After the wing is completed, the landing pad will be relocated to the top of the building.
“The number one priority for the helicopter is the shortest flight, safest flight to land in the shortest time and deliver a patient."Ray Midlam, St. Luke's vice president of business development and strategy
He added that developers would be following township code calling for a minimum of 300 feet distance between the helipad and any nearby residential uses.
Ray Midlam, St. Luke’s vice president of business development and strategy, said in September the targeted temporary helipad location would be at least 2,500 feet from other properties to the west and over 4,000 feet from those to the east.
The current chopper approach paths would only be affected slightly, he said.
“I didn’t sign on for the house to be shaken."Barry Roth, Bethlehem Twp. resident and planning commission member
“The number one priority for the helicopter is the shortest flight, safest flight to land in the shortest time and deliver a patient,” Midlam said.
Some residents living nearby have said that the Medevac helicopters tend to get too close to neighborhoods near the hospital. Some have said they’ve yet to hear any choppers nearby.
“I didn’t sign on for the house to be shaken,” Barry Roth, a township resident and planning commission member, said at a prior meeting.
