A whopper of a chopper causes consternation in Natick
Boston Scientific wants extended hours, use of its helipad
Boston Scientific lost more than $3.5 billion in 2006.
While the company may not chalk up the relatively paltry $270,494 it spent on executive use of corporate aircraft last year as a loss, neighbors of the Natick-based maker of medical devices would no doubt prefer that money be spent elsewhere.
Boston Scientific is currently in the process of trying to renew its special permit with the town to operate a helipad on its Natick campus on the shores of Lake Cochituate. The current permit, granted in 2000 and renewed in 2002, expired Jan. 16, and is operating under a temporary permit.
Quiet as a mouse?
Neighbors say the comings and goings of the large Sikorsky are unacceptably loud and bothersome, especially given the fact that the landing pad sits next to the lake, which carries the sound even further.
"They take the position that it is no louder than a lawnmower," said A. Richard Miller, who has been living on the lake since 1968 and who has created a web site (www.millermicro.com/ helipad.html) devoted to the issue. "Well it is. The advertisements say (the Sikorsky S76) is quiet. That's what they tell the executives, sitting in the isolated inside. It might be quiet inside, but you can't ignore the outside."
Under the current permit, Boston Scientific can only operate the helicopter between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., with a maximum of 15 round-trip flights per month.
With its renewal, the company requested the hours of operation be extended to 9 p.m., with unlimited flights, in addition to a stipulation that would allow the helicopter to stay on site after discharging passengers.
The town is currently formulating a public request for a sound engineer to evaluate the noise levels of the helicopter and provide recommendations to the town and company on how best to deal with the noise.
Charles Rudnick, corporate spokesman for Boston Scientific, said only that the town and company were working together on the issue.
"We are sensitive to any concerns of neighboring citizens regarding the helipad and have already taken a number of steps to limit its impact," he said.
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