Mar-a-Lago neighbors oppose Trump’s planned helipad

Several Palm Beach residents expressed concerns at a town council meeting on Tuesday about noise and wind damage should the planned helipad at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago be installed.

The helipad, already approved by the council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, would be built on the club’s west lawn, and would allow the president to travel from Palm Beach International Airport to his vacation home and club without a motorcade. 

Secret Service would still mandate closures of the road near Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach Daily News reported, and the Southern Boulevard Bridge, too, would be shut down while Marine One is in the air.

When residents complained that President Richard Nixon’s helicopter landings at his “southern White House” on Key Biscayne were disruptive and noisy, a platform was built 100 yards offshore, a resident said at the meeting.

“I would like to remind everybody, including the people listening that Donald Trump is the president of the United States of America,” said Councilwoman Danielle Moore, according to the Daily News. “As we try to work through our individual frustrations, please focus on the fact that the president of the United States has chosen to come to Palm Beach – a place where he has lived for more than two decades – to rest, whether we like it or not.” 

Nearby businesses have complained about the negative impact of Trump’s visits, also. Billionaire real estate investor Jeff Greene said last week that Trump’s recent visit and the accompanying traffic hurt his business at Tideline Resort & Spa. [Palm Beach Daily News] – Gabrielle Paluch