Neighbor fury as CEO turns lawn into helicopter landing pad and insists he needs chopper to ‘be the best dad he can’
After converting his yard into a helicopter landing pad and defending the decision by claiming it makes him a better father, a wealthy CEO has angered his neighbors.
Doug Schieffer, a 50-year-old construction magnate and the proprietor of Northland Concrete and Masonry, has responded to his detractors by labeling them “spiteful.”
After filing plans to construct a private helipad outside his $4.5 million vacation house, the father has caused a stir in the affluent neighborhood of East Gull Lake, which is located about 110 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Authorities in the little community of less than 1,000 residents rejected his initial plans for his coastal property in 2020.
Schieffer attempted again, referring to the regulations as “dumb,” after they informed him that he was not permitted to have a landing pad inside the city limits.
“At this point, the opposition is all about spite,” he stated in a Star Tribune interview.
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Between August 2023 and February 2024, Schieffer received three notices of violation following several complaints regarding his helicopter landing and being parked on his property.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation issued a cease and desist order against him in May of this year.
However, according to court documents, he is still engaging in his “unpermitted activities and violations.”
Schieffer unsuccessfully appealed the denial before taking civic action after failing to appeal the violations twice this year.
Schieffer’s helicopter routinely lands in his lawn, according to photos from the city’s suit.
They claim that neighbors have complained and that it is a zoning violation.
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Additionally, the city maintains that Schieffer’s property is not an airport and that he is not legally permitted to store his helicopter there.
Everyone has “a right to make noise,” according to Schieffer, who asserted in an interview that his neighbors had the “burden of proof” to demonstrate that his helicopter was noisier than the chainsaws and lawnmowers they were using.
According to Schieffer, he takes the helicopter from his home in Webster, Minnesota, which is about 140 miles to the south, to his lake cottage for vacation.
He was not going to back down, he added.
“Put restrictions on me and let’s move on because this is really dumb,” he replied.
According to Schieffer, he is “Just trying to be the best dad I can be and be there as much as I can for my kids.” He also mentioned that his helicopter enables him to attend events in his kids’ lives.
He claimed that another “passion” of his was helicopter piloting.
During the summer, when Schieffer is usually in town, the city reports that it received more complaints.
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A district judge will hear the case on January 8 and have three months to render a decision.
Requests for response from Schieffer and his lawyers were not answered by The U.S. Sun.
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