Category : Correspondence(309)

In this April 26, 1983 letter to the Port of Seattle Commissioners, resident Virginia E. Dare urges the commission to honor its commitment to 'maximum compatibility' between Sea-Tac Airport and surrounding neighborhoods, as originally promised under the Sea-Tac Community Plan (STCP) launched in 1972. The letter emphasizes that community members were guaranteed a direct, ongoing role in planning decisions—including noise mitigation, land acquisition, and density guidelines—through a formal Community Involvement Program. The author calls on commissioners to uphold that process as they enter a new noise remedy program update that will reassess FAA density guidelines affecting nearby residents.

A letter from Bill Holstine to Sea/Tac noise and air pollution impacted community residents announcing a meeting to discuss the completed Noise Update Study results and potential legal action against the Port of Seattle. The meeting was scheduled for January 26, 1983, and would include an attorney to discuss legal processes and an M.D. to

This document collection includes correspondence from 1981–1983 related to noise policy around Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport. A February 1981 letter from PAC Chairman Oris Dunham to King County's Director of Planning urges the county to adopt and enforce building code sound insulation requirements — as called for in the Sea-Tac/Communities Plan adopted in 1976 — to protect nearby residents from aircraft noise. A January 1983 letter to the PAC Subcommittee on Organization outlines plans to develop a series of organizational alternatives for review at the March 23 Policy Advisory Committee meeting.

Letter from Rosemary Zeutschel criticizing the Port of Seattle’s inadequate public involvement process for the Sea-Tac/Boeing Field Airspace Study, arguing that insufficient time was provided for community organizations to review technical documents and provide meaningful input.

A May 1982 newsletter from the Port of Seattle and King County describing an airspace study examining overlapping flight patterns between Sea-Tac International Airport and Boeing Field. The study found that delays caused by these overlapping traffic patterns were expected to grow gradually through 1990 and accelerate through 2000, particularly at Sea-Tac. The public was invited to a May 18, 1982 meeting to review preliminary findings and provide input on whether to proceed with identifying solutions to reduce aircraft delays.

In a 1982 letter to the editor titled 'Clear Zone Rules Have a Purpose,' Seattle resident Virginia E. Dana defended FAA density guidelines restricting how many people could gather on land north of Sea-Tac Airport, arguing the area was acquired to serve as a safety zone for aircraft, not a public park without limitations. She noted that the Port of Seattle purchased the land partly with federal funds to address severe noise impacts on residents, and that the FAA's people-per-acre restrictions had already been approved by community organizations, Port commissioners, and King County Council. State Senator Phil Talmadge responded with a letter commending Dana's well-reasoned position on the FAA guidelines and the Sea-Tac Communities Plan for the runway approach area.

A 1982 Port of Seattle memorandum presents draft forecasts of aviation demand for Sea-Tac International Airport and Boeing Field, projecting aircraft operations through the year 2000. The forecasts cover annual take-offs and landings as well as peak-hour traffic under both visual and instrument flight conditions, with Sea-Tac's total annual operations expected to grow from roughly 214,000 in 1980 to over 261,000 by 2000. The document was circulated to FAA, King County, and Washington State DOT representatives for review as part of an airspace capacity and noise planning study.

A February 9, 1982 letter from Port of Seattle Director of Aviation Oris D. Dunham to Bill Bowlin addresses density guidelines for the North Sea-Tac Park, located under flight paths at Sea-Tac International Airport. The letter clarifies that the gymnasium and meeting areas of the former Sunset Junior High School complex are subject to a recommended 60-person limit to reduce noise impacts on gatherings beneath the flight paths. However, the Port and FAA indicated they would consider granting special permission for the Greater Highline Community Parks Board to exceed that limit for one-time fundraising events benefiting long-term park development.

In January 1982, members of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Sea-Tac International Airport Noise Exposure Update wrote to the Port of Seattle's Director of Planning and Research to raise concerns about the final draft of the noise study. The letter argues that the report fails to clearly define the problem of aircraft noise impacts on surrounding communities, relies on optimistic assumptions about airlines adopting quieter aircraft, and uses an average noise level methodology that does not capture how residents actually experience flight disruptions. The committee also expressed frustration that their technical input and unanswered questions were largely ignored, despite their role being cited in the report as evidence of public participation.

A December 29, 1981 letter from Port of Seattle Chairman Oris W. Dunham, Jr. notifies Policy Advisory Committee members that their upcoming meeting has been rescheduled from January 13 to January 14, 1982 at 2:00 p.m. in Sea-Tac's auditorium due to a scheduling conflict. The primary focus of the meeting remains the Noise Exposure Update, with additional agenda items also planned for discussion. Members were advised that the final agenda would be mailed during the first week of 1982.