Decision likely to come much earlier than expected!
The Sustainable Airport Master Plan Draft EA comment period is now closed. We want to thank everybody who participated. We know the process was short and highly fraught. Nevertheless, we read some very good material. Thank you.
The Port registered approximately 230 participants at their four Open Houses. The City of Des Moines had over 100 remote and in-person at their community meeting. Wesley in Des Moines had an even with forty seniors and a group of residents near the Marina District held a community meeting with another 50.
In many Federal comment processes, comments are made available as they are posted. That was not the case here. If you share your comments, we can educate one another on an ongoing basis as to our various concerns. We saw a broad range of interests, and that can only be a good thing.
Document Library – SAMP Draft EA Public Comments
Next Step: Urgent!
As we’ve said in our Comment Period Explainer, the next step will be for the FAA examiner to review those comments and then issue a decision, which will either allow the process to move forward to the State environmental review (SEPA) or ask for some form of further analysis (hopefully a full Environmental Impact Statement.)
However! The Port is now suggesting that this decision could occur as early as March, 2025! This is much earlier than we were told as recently as two weeks ago and further suggests that the decision will be to move forward!
Therefore, it is imperative that we immediately turn our attention to our local and State electeds. They will need to have a strategy in place to appeal that decision.