PALM BEACH, Fla. — Representatives at Mar-a-Lago are seeking permission from the Town of Palm Beach to build a helicopter pad that would allow President Donald Trump to travel by air directly to and from his property.
Documents obtained by WPTV show the club has submitted an application that specifically shows renderings of Marine One and Trump. The application looks similar to the helicopter pad that was located at the president's home during his first term in 2017.
Timothy Miller, who is a former Secret Service agent and owner of a private security company called LionHeart International Services Group, said he's surprised the helicopter pad hasn't already been built, since Trump has now been in office for more than eight months.
"Yes, you have police officers at intersections," Miller said, "but you have no visibility within buildings or rooftops because it's impossible to have a thorough security sweep of miles and miles."
He said the current motorcade situation, the four-mile drive traveling from Palm Beach International Airport to Mar-a-Lago, is a security nightmare.
The pad will be located on the Intracoastal side of the property, next to the tennis courts and the service road. That's similar to the location the previous helipad was positioned during Trump's first term. However, the application that was filed for construction shows this helicopter pad is about 10 feet larger in diameter.
Read below the letter of intent to build the helipad:
Harvey Oyer III, the land use attorney for the proposal, told WPTV that the request for a larger helicopter pad is because the helicopter used as Marine One is larger than the one used during his previous term.
"The U.S. Marine Corps has a newer, more modern helicopter that is serving as Marine One than in President Trump's first term," he said. "That larger helicopter requires a larger diameter helipad or landing pad."
WPTV has listened in the past to people who have expressed concerns about the noise, along with the potential for other helicopter pads being constructed on the island, and the other security measures around the president's property.
The Town of Palm Beach will need to approve the project. The first public hearing is scheduled in about two weeks.
The 40- to 50-foot-wide helipad that was built in 2017 was demolished shortly after Trump left office in early 2021. The helipad was used sparingly during Trump's first term in office.
