County tables helicopter services at Andy Bowie

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

A potential resort development’s expansion at the Andy Bowie Park flats on South Padre Island has been delayed again after a Cameron County Commissioners Court meeting this past Tuesday. 

Commissioners tabled a vote on helicopter services managed by Michael Rocks-Macqueen, operating as Air Veritas, without discussion during their bi-weekly meeting on June 8. 

The potential flight service is another layer to a proposed resort development at the Andy Bowie Park flats. Rocks-Macqueen told the PRESS the business was a helicopter tours of South Padre Island 

Save RGV, a Rio Grande Valley non-profit environmental advocacy organization, opposed the helicopter services during the public comment period of the meeting. Patrick Anderson, a member of Save RGV, told the commissioners the helicopters’ noise could disrupt the close nature sanctuaries nearby, like the Laguna Madre Nature Trail and the South Padre Island Birding, Nature and Alligator Sanctuary. 

“Both areas are within or at the edge of the typical recommended setback of 1,200 feet,” Anderson said. 

Anderson also mentioned Andy Bowie Park directly, saying families and homes along the northern end of the Island, like at The Shores, could be disturbed by the noise pollution. He suggested to the commissioners to move the services to Isla Blanca Park, another county-maintained park on the south end of the Island, where helipads already exist. 

According to the company’s business registry, Air Veritas was incorporated two months ago and is based in Los Fresnos, Texas.  

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2021/06/11/county-tables-helicopter-services-at-andy-bowie/

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