Concluding a months-long back-and-forth between the county and the landowner, the council voted unanimously against the proposal to allow use of the private helipad.
Milton, founder of the electric truck maker Nikola who was convicted of fraud last October, had been using the helipad without authorization. Landing pads are not permitted in the zone where Milton owns land. When his neighbors complained, he applied to amend the code.
Wasatch County Manager Dustin Grabau told KPCW before the hearing that the planning commission advised the county council not to support Milton’s proposed amendment.
“We have been doing some enforcement actions around unauthorized uses of helicopters, so I think this is his attempt to come into compliance by requesting that the county consider permitting these types of uses, which obviously the planning commission isn’t supportive of,” he said.
Nor was the county council supportive.
Councilmember Steve Farrell scoffed at the application’s argument that allowing helipads would benefit Wasatch County by “attracting more affluent individuals to the area.”
“I’ve never heard a more asinine statement,” he said. “All of the people that come to Wasatch County are affluent – if not in money, in spirit, or experience, or something.”
There was also some concern that, if approved, the amendment would lead to more helipads being permitted on smaller plots of land.
The council determined the amendment was not in the interest of the public and voted to deny it, with the recommendation that the planning commission look over the existing helipad code in case of future revisions.
