Category : Correspondence(195)

A 1979 letter from Sea-Tac International Airport Manager Oris Dunham, Jr. to the Zone Three Committee accompanies a newsletter addressing community questions about airport operations and noise impact. The document explains key programs including the Interim Land Acquisition Program (approved 1974) to purchase properties within FAA-established flight path zones, and the federally funded Airport Development Assistance Program (ADAP), which draws from airline ticket taxes to fund noise remedy efforts. It also references the Sunset Recreational Plan, a coordinated initiative between the Port of Seattle and King County to address land use in the airport's north clear zone.

In an August 17, 1979 letter to the King County Council, Irene Jones, chairperson of Zone 3 meetings, conveyed strong opposition from local residents to developing a recreational park in the North Sea-Tac area near the airport. Attendees at a public meeting cited safety concerns, high noise levels, and potential tax burdens as reasons against the park plan, arguing that the land should first be fully acquired by the POS before any development is considered. Residents emphasized that their top priority was relief through noise-acquisition, purchase assurance, and sound insulation programs for their existing properties.

A July 1979 letter from planner Janis Snoey to FAA Airport Planning Branch representative George Sato transmits five pre-schematic site plans for the North Sea-Tac Park, showing projected peak-time visitor numbers under various development scenarios. The plans, prepared following an FAA meeting on July 17, 1979, are accompanied by a 'Carrying Capacity' map that classifies park areas by development suitability—from very high intensity (sports fields, motorcycle trails) to low intensity (foot paths only)—based on analysis of soils, hydrology, vegetation, and noise. The documents were intended solely to provoke discussion during the early master planning phase for the North Sea-Tac site.

A March 1979 letter from Deputy Ombudsman Rella E. Foley to Messrs. Stockdale and Sutter details the financial hardship of a Mr. Fest, whose annual income of approximately $6,000 makes it impossible for him to afford sewer connection payments. Foley recommends that the DesMoines Sewer District allow Mr. Fest a temporary sewer connection while the Port of Seattle moves quickly to acquire his property, noting that delays forcing him to pursue a short plat subdivision would ultimately cost taxpayers more. The letter was copied to legal counsel for both the DesMoines Sewer District and the Port of Seattle.

This March 1979 newsletter from the Westside Hilltop Area Survival Committee (WHSC) updates Hilltop Community residents on two key hearings: one opposing the Port of Seattle's proposed corporate aviation facility north of South 176th Street, and another challenging a requested rezone of 30 acres of westside greenbelt land near Sea-Tac Airport. The committee reaffirms its position that no airport development should proceed without proper community safeguards, and addresses rumors about residents' legal liability for the committee's activities. The newsletter also notes that the State Legislature approved legislation allowing the Port of Seattle to extend the airport impact zone to include the Hilltop area.

In this January 25, 1979 letter, Washington State Representative John Jovanovich (31st District) writes to Ms. Jean Pihlman explaining that the Sea-Tac Comprehensive Plan (STCP), adopted by the Port of Seattle and King County, primarily addresses the airport and its noise-impacted areas. He urges that citizen representatives on the Policy Advisory Committee — the body responsible for monitoring the plan — should come directly from the noise-impacted communities, so that their needs are properly understood by decision-makers.

In a July 27, 1978 letter to the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) chairman at Sea-Tac International Airport, the Highline Community Council president Dorothy Harper objected to a proposed reorganization that would reduce the Council's representative to a non-voting status. The Council argued that retaining a voting seat was essential to effectively represent Highline-area residents in matters related to the Port of Seattle and the Sea-Tac Communities Plan. The letter also emphasized the importance of maintaining a balanced membership on the PAC that equally reflects government, business, and residents' viewpoints.