The Miami Beach Land Use and Sustainability Committee narrowly cleared the way Thursday for a private helipad on Terminal Island that would serve Ken Griffin, the hedge fund billionaire building what is expected to become his primary residence on Star Island. The committee voted 2–1 to send a favorable recommendation to the Planning Board and City Commission, with Commissioner Tanya Bhatt dissenting after her motion to defer died for lack of a second. The proposal faces two more layers of review before any code change takes effect.

What's Proposed

The amendment, sponsored by Commissioner Joseph Magazine, would add a helipad as an accessory use in the I-1 Light Industrial zoning district on Terminal Island — and nowhere else in the city. Under the draft language, operations would be limited to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with no arrivals or departures outside that window. The helipad would be accessory only to the private large-yacht marina that One Island Partners is building on the island; a commercial heliport would remain prohibited. The city administration recommended the committee endorse the change, saying it has no objection because the amendment is limited in scope.

Magazine opened the discussion by identifying Griffin as the proposal's backer, praising his philanthropy and job creation in Miami-Dade, while cautioning that the commission would not "steamroll our neighbors."

Attorney Neisen Kasdin of Akerman, representing One Island Partners, told the committee that Terminal Island was a working marine terminal and container port for nearly a century and that the marina is "the least impactful use that has ever been proposed for any site on Terminal Island." Kasdin said Griffin made 61 helicopter flights last year using the Watson Island heliport, and that the helipad would likely sit atop one of the marina buildings. He said only the owner would use it, then acknowledged Griffin could "perhaps have an occasional guest." Deputy City Attorney Gabriela Freitas said the city likely cannot regulate guest use because airspace is federally preempted. She said such approvals typically run with the land, though the Planning Board could require any new owner or operator to come back before the board.

Kasdin also told the committee the U.S. Coast Guard had "no objection." Bhatt corrected the record: the letter from Capt. Clay McKinney, the Coast Guard's commanding officer in Miami Beach, says the agency takes no position. Commissioner Alex Fernandez noted the Coast Guard had opposed an earlier condominium proposal for the site. Kasdin argued that without the ordinance, a helicopter could already land on a yacht docked at the marina with no city limits on hours.

Magazine asked whether an approval could be pulled back if flights proved more frequent or disruptive than projected. Kasdin said the facility has been designed and is under construction: "you're not going to change that design."

Noise Findings — and a Live Test Ahead

Kasdin said South of Fifth residents backed out of a sound test the applicant had arranged, so the team commissioned a computer model instead. David Strom of Trinity Consultants presented results from the CadnaA acoustic model projecting a maximum of about 65 decibels — roughly normal conversation — outside the balconies of South of Fifth high-rises, lasting under 20 seconds per flight. Strom said the results held essentially the same from ground level to rooftop.

Committee Chair David Suarez asked for a live test with commissioners present, proposing to hold it at resident John Stimmel's unit and pool deck at the Icon, which he called the closest South of Fifth condominium to the site. Kasdin agreed.

The Palm Hibiscus Star Islands Association submitted a letter of support, signed by association president Chris Torto, calling the marina "very compatible" with the islands.

Organized Opposition

Condo leaders from South of Fifth pushed back firmly. Stimmel said that once the city grants the permit, "you have no recourse for it." John Caprio, president of the Murano and a board member of the South of Fifth Neighborhood Association (SOFNA), said the helipad would affect roughly 2,000 high-rise residents and that he had not found one who supports it. "Nobody wants to live next to an airport," he said. Alison Herman, SOFNA vice president and president of Portofino Towers, said no one from the applicant had contacted her buildings and warned of a precedent for helipad requests on Star, Hibiscus and Palm islands. Brian O'Brien, representing the 361-unit Yacht Club at Portofino, said the real issue is quality of life, not just decibel readings.

Bhatt sided with the neighbors. "This is a request for one person in the city that will affect a lot of people in the city," she said, adding that the community is not yet on board.

Magazine told the applicant's team to redirect its energy: "Don't spend your time lobbying us. … Put all of those resources into trying to thread a needle with the residents. Because without the residents, I'm telling you, you're not going to get 5/7 votes up here." Fernandez echoed him, reminding the team that with Bhatt's concerns on record, it could afford to lose only one more vote.

What's Next

The item goes to the Planning Board on October 6, 2026 (PB26-0852) under the dual referral. It would then need two readings before the full City Commission, where it requires five of seven votes. The administration's memo lists no fiscal impact.

See also: City Eyes Helipad for Terminal Island's Industrial Zone