Monroe, NY Resident Speaks Out About Helo Landing Feet From Home

Javier Dam and his wife live in the Town of Monroe, New York, along Seven Springs Mountain Road very close to the border between Monroe and the Village of South Blooming Grove. He related how he and his wife were stunned when a helicopter supposedly came in 'low and loud,' allegedly shaking their house. They had no idea a helipad had been built by the owner of a neighboring property.

Dam decided to speak out after the incident, saying it seemed the helipad appeared out of nowhere. “It was unbearable. The whole house shook. We had no idea anything like this was happening behind us,” he said.

County tax records and maps indicate the helipad is located on the property at 58 Fort Worth Place in the Village of South Blooming Grove, which borders Monroe to the north. Monroe officials said satellite images show a round landing pad and a large building on a property that’s being used as a school for the South Blooming Grove community.

The property was owned at one time by the mayor of South Blooming Grove, George Kalaj, until 2022 when he sold it to Forth Worth Holdings of Monroe. The property sold for $4.6 million and occurred when Kalaj became mayor.

Dam said he noticed the clearing behind his home in 2023. It was a dense forested area but quickly became a wide dirt road and a cleared landing area with a large metal hangar. This was done with no notice to any of the residents living along the border -- though there is little reason to believe that such a thing was required.

He said, “This was all forest, now, it’s a huge road. Everything has been removed.” Dam also mentioned that Joel Stern, Deputy Mayor of South Blooming Grove, recently asked him for access through his back yard, saying he just needed a “little corner” and that he would pay him for it. Dam refused the request.

Monroe supervisor Tony Cardone said they have no authority over the site because it lies entirely within South Blooming Grove, which has full land-use authority. Cardone also said that the FAA has overriding jurisdiction over landing sites.

Dam said a project like that 'would appear' to need permits, which would also entail public notice--if that is, indeed, the case. But he said, “Why wasn’t anyone told?”

An FAA spokesperson told local news that the agency had not been notified about the helipad, and that federal law requires developers to give the FAA an opportunity to evaluate any proposed landing or takeoff areas to determine if the project present any potential hazards. But it is not clear whether the FAA must or will get more involved.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said it has not issued any permits for the project nor has it received a permit application. It is reviewing the case to determine whether permits or other authorizations are necessary.

FMI:  dec.ny.gov/