Billionaire Trevor Milton attended a planning commission meeting Thursday to weigh in on helipad use in the county.
The disgraced founder of electric truck maker Nikola was sentenced to four years in prison in December and remains out while appealing his case.
Attending virtually, Milton spoke up during Wasatch County’s planning commission meeting Feb. 8.
On the agenda was a discussion about the place of helipads in the county. Milton attracted attention last spring over his request to use a helipad at his ranch after neighbors reported his unauthorized flying. That application was denied.
In April 2023, the planning commission recommended the county council allow landing pads with a permit. But now, the commission is leaning towards banning helipads altogether.
“It doesn’t mitigate transportation, it doesn’t help public safety – it’s really about recreational use for those who can afford the luxury of having a personal helicopter,” planning commissioner Mark Hendricks said. “Even though I’m pro-property rights, I don’t know that that’s more important than the interference with tranquility in our county.”
To read the full story, visit KPCW.org.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.