Helicopters: Medical necessity, or Satan's air-weasels? Local hospitals have wanted helipads for a long, long time -- one estimate is that they'd probably use helicopters once or twice a day for life-saving emergencies -- and for just as long, some folks have opposed them.
But that's apparently changed now: the Board of Supes' Land Use Committee gave an unqualified thumbs-up to helicopters at the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay.
So, what's changed? WE HAVE NO IDEA. Four years ago, residents were gravely concerned about noise and accidents.
A couple of months ago, neighbors were still concerned. But now, residents are praising the idea. What is going on, San Francisco! You are a crazy cuckoo clock!
As far as we can tell, it was outreach that made the difference. UCSF has been planning for this for years; they started outreach to residents early and listened to concerns, and even offered to subsidize soundproofing in nearby homes. Looks like this might be a case where being a good neighbor pays dividends.