Several east Manatee County residents are fighting a golf course’s plans to bring helicopters to the area.

The Concession Golf Club, located off of State Road 70 in Bradenton, has plans of installing a helistop on their property. The Concession reports they only want the helistop for members and it would only be used a few times a month.

  • Golf course planning to build helistop on property
  • Nearby homeowners worried about safety, horses' well-being
  • County commissioners to vote June 2

The golf course is now waiting on county approval to move forward.

The golf course is located near Panther Ridge, which is made up of nine communities, including five subdivisions catering to equestrians.

Keri Cooper lives in Foxwood of Panther Ridge. Her home is next to the golf course, close to where the helistop is proposed to be built. Cooper and many of her neighbors have horses and fear the helicopters would scare them.

“The main thing is horses do not like loud noises,” she said. “They get frightened very easily. They are flee animals, so if something scares them not only does one horse run, they all do.”

Cooper said she also worries this could lead to someone getting hurt.

“The horses themselves could get hurt or the riders on top of them could get hurt," she said. “Even an innocent person who is not involved with us could be hurt. It could be a car, a truck, a semi-truck if we were crossing 70. The horse could dart in front of it like a deer and the public could be in danger and hurt also.”

Residents say take-offs and landings of helicopters directly adjacent to their riding and walking trails is a dangerous mix.

The helistop issue will go before county commissioners for a vote on June 2.

Residents have started a petition against the helistop. They plan to give this to commissioners before the vote.