Austin City Council tightened rules and regulations for helistops and helicopter-related facilities after approving several amended ordinances at its June 20 meeting.

Some of the major changes for the facilities pertain to event-specific helistops, known as Category II helistops in the ordinance. Category II helistops are similar to the sites that were approved for the United States Grand Prix in November 2012.

David King, a member of the Zilker Neighborhood Association, said the ordinance council approved is a "superior" ordinance to the one the city already had in its code.

"I just remember last year with F1 having so many helicopters flying over the neighborhood, continuously, over that weekend," King said. "I don't want to make a big deal again about it, I just want to remind everyone that that's why this is important. What we're here for today, it does help the neighborhoods. It will help the neighborhoods."

The ordinance now stipulates that Category II helistops can be approved for events that last for no more than three consecutive days, and the sites cannot exceed four helicopter trips per hour per day. No more than three helicopters are allowed to use an approved Category II helistop, and operation hours for a Category II helistop are 7:30–8:30 p.m.

Notice of a complete application for a Category II helistop will be mailed to property owners and utility customers within 500 feet of the proposed helistop as well as utility users within an area where the noise from the vehicles would be at or exceed 65 decibel of continuous noise level. Every year, a Category II helistops would have to reapply for approval.

Neighborhoods or property owners within 500 feet of the proposed helistop will also be notified of the application, and a 14-day comment period for the public on that application will be available.

The changes stemmed from helistops approved for last year's United States Grand Prix where the community raised concerns about temporary helistops being established near neighborhoods and noise-sensitive areas.

"There was really good dialogue between the operators, the neighborhoods and the large event producers," Shane Harbinson of the city of Austin Aviation Department said during the council work session June 18.

Councilwoman Laura Morrison said at the work session that the reworking of the ordinance was long overdue.

"The fact that you had to come up with a 31-page ordinance I think demonstrates that it was ripe for really looking at this," Morrison said. "We're stepping it up in terms of the types of helicopter operations we have in the city, and it's just taking us to a new standard."