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Email Exchange: Normandy Park Mayor Eric Zimmerman on SAMP Frustrations and StART Strategy

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In a November 2024 email exchange, Normandy Park Mayor Eric Zimmerman acknowledges frustration with the Sea-Tac Airport Master Plan (SAMP) process, explaining that the Port of Seattle Commission holds the real power over airport growth but that pro-growth cities like Seattle and Bellevue dominate that political landscape. He cautions against taking an activist stance toward the Port, warning that doing so could jeopardize the city's participation in the StART engagement process and cost Normandy Park hard-won mitigation benefits, such as an overnight runway use agreement that shifted late-night landings away from the third runway. The email was prompted by a journalist named Stuart Jenner, who reported writing a story about SAMP meetings held on November 13 and 14, 2024.

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Email exchange dated November 15, 2024 between Normandy Park Mayor Eric Zimmerman and Stuart Jenner (Burien.news) regarding the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) meetings of November 13-14, 2024. Zimmerman acknowledges frustration with the SAMP process and Sea-Tac Airport growth, identifies Port of Seattle Commissioners as the entity to lobby, and explains Normandy Park’s cautious approach to avoid jeopardizing StART participation and the overnight runway use agreement (third runway late-night landing mitigation). Zimmerman references Dave Upthegrove and discusses the political limits of airport-impacted cities like Normandy Park versus pro-growth cities like Seattle and Bellevue. Email cc’d to Des Moines city council, Defenders of Highline Forest, Burien city officials, and King County.

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