| Year | Date | Event | Source | Ops/Pax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | A commercial airport is built on a 906 acre plateau near Bow Lake | ||||
| 1949 |  | ||||
| 1955 | Port Commission votes to purchase 80 acres to the north and extend main runway 1,000 feet. | ||||
| 1956 | 09-27-1956 | First Jet (Boeing Dash-80) lands at Sea-Tac. | |||
| 1957 | Port Commission votes to purchase another 170 acres at north end. Construction of post office begins. | ||||
| 1959 | First regular Jet Service from PanAm using Boeing 707. | Favro et al. v. Port of Seattle, U.S. District Court, No. C92-1634Z, Complaint, p.3 | |||
| 1960 | 03-30-1960 | Port Commission votes to purchase more property at south end of property and begins construction of a 1,700 foot runway extension of the main North-South runway across 188th Street. | 54,752 | ||
| 1962 | Main runway construction completed, reaching its final length of 11,500 ft. | ||||
| 1968 | Port begins construction of Second Runway 800 ft. west of the First Runway to accommodate expected future growth with Boeing 747 and SST. | ||||
| 1970 | Second Runway opens | ||||
| 1971 | "Boeing Bust". FAA indicates that supersonic aircraft will not be permitted. SST program cancelled. | ||||
| 1973 | 06/29/1973 | Highline School District files suit against Port of Seattle for damages allegedly caused by "noise, vibration, and smoke from aircraft landing and taking off at the airport." | Highline Dist. v. Port of Seattle, 87 Wn.2d 6, P.2d 1085 (1976) at p.7 | ||
 With a $641,000 grant from the FAA, King County and the Port of Seattle begin a three year project called the Sea-Tac Communities Plan.The plan discusses future expansion and concludes "the airport site has adequate capability to accommodate foreseeable air traffic demand. No major expansion of the site is required." | |||||
| 1975 | King County passes Ordinance No. 2883, adopting the Sea-Tac Communities Plan as "official County policy in determining future actions with the Port of Seattle on matters pertaining to SeaTac International Airport, the application of noise programs, development of acquisition areas and other action on the Airport in the vicinity. | Ordinance 2883 | |||
| 1976 | Port of Seattle Commission adopts Resolution No. 2626 which "accepts the SeaTac Communities Plan and endorses its recommendations in general terms as a guide for development of the SeaTac International Airport within its community." | Resolution 2626 | |||
| Almost immediately, Boeing indicates that they will pursue an effort to have the west side buffer land re-zoned in order to re-locate their headquarters on that property. A majority of the King County Council expresses support for the idea, angering participants of the STCP. The Westside Hilltop Survival Committee immediately forms to oppose the proposal. | |||||
| 1977 | As the next phase of the STCP, the Policy Advisory Committee and Technical Working Committees begin work on the Highline Community Plan to flesh out land use policy for areas specified in Chapter 6 of the STCP. | ||||
| 1978 | King County Council approves Ordinance 224-78-R, authorizing the re-zoning of the noise buffer land west of the airport for commercial purposes in order to support Boeing's proposal to re-locate their headquarters. | ||||
| 1979 |  The Highline Community Plan EIS is published, specifying land use options for areas around the airport. | ||||
| 1980 | Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG) issues its twenty year forecast entitled the Regional System Airport Plan (RASP) | ||||
| 1982 | Port of Seattle issues Noise Exposure Update | ||||
| 1983 | Shared Airspace Study reveals conflicts between Sea-Tac and Boeing Field airport traffic. Study includes regional air traffic capacity forecasts. Study notes "Snohomish County Airport, Renton Municipal Airport, and Auburn Municipal Airport are designated Sea-Tac reliever airports in [FAA's] current National Airport System Plan." | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport/King County International Airport Airspace Study prepared by the Port of Seattle and King County | |||
| 1984 | Program Area Boundaries/Noise Remedy Update Summary And Staff Recommendations | ||||
| 1985 | Port of Seattle issues Master Plan Update for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Final Report. Master Plan recommendations state "[t]he recommended airfield consists of the existing system of runways and taxiways with several improvements to the taxiway network." The study's policy guidelines and assumptions" are taken from the Sea-Tac Communities Plan adopted by the Port Commission in 1976. The Master Plan assumptions were specific directions to the Master Plan update team to guide the development of the Master Plan update document itself (e.g. , new runways will not be considered). These directions were consistent with both stated Port policy and existing institutional and environmental constraints." | Final Report Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Master Plan Update prepared for the Port of Seattle by Peat Marwick/TRA September 1985, p.5-1, p.2-1-2 | |||
| 11/24/1985 | Highline Times reports Port of Seattle adoption of Master Plan Update for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Article reports "[t]he long-term guide calls for no new land acquisitions aside from those under the noise program, and no new runways." | Highline Times November 24, 1985 | |||
| 1987 | December | Puget Sound Council of Governments issues draft environmental impact statement (EIS) which recommends a range of alternative regional air transportation plans. Recommendations include a baseline program and alternatives with estimates of their respective costs (in 1986 dollars):
| Regional Transportation Plan Airport System Amendment Draft Environmental Impact Statement PSCOG | ||
| 1988 | Puget Sound Regional Council's 1988 Regional Airport System Plan, le[ads] the Port of Seattle Commissioners to formally acknowledge that Sea-Tac would reach runway saturation near the end of the century. | Technical Report 7A, p.1-1 | |||
| 03/20/1988 | Port of Seattle Executive Director Jim Dwyer states that talk about a third runway has hurt the Port's credibility and that talk of a third runway should stop until "we have 'left no stone unturned' in our study of what our aviation needs are." | Highline Times March 20, 1988 | |||
| 1989 | 03/14/1989 | City of Federal Way is formed through a special election held March 14, 1989 | King County Ordinance No 8779 | ||
| City of SeaTac is formed through a special election held March 14, 1989 | King County Ordinance No 8820 | ||||
| The Port of Seattle and Puget Sound Council of Governments launch thePort of Seattle and Puget Sound Council of Governments launch Flight Plan study on May 23, 1989. study on May 23, 1989. | |||||
| 1990 | The Washington State Legislature passes the Growth Management Act (GMA) | RCW 36.70A | |||
| 04/02/1990 | The Four Post Plan is approved by FAA Northwest Mountain Region, establishing standard flight path protocols. A law suit by the Seattle Community Council Federation to stop implementation fail. | ||||
| Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG) establishes the Puget Sound Air Transportation Committee (PSATC) to conduct a two year study of regional air transportation planning issues. The program designated 'Flightplan'. Funding for 1989-90 portion of study (75% paid by FAA grant) amounts to $341,000 | PDC 1630-3 | ||||
| 1991 | 06/29/1991 | The Puget Sound Air Transportation Committee (PSATC) issues Final Report which finds that "no configuration of Sea-Tac could, by itself, provide sufficient capacity to meet the region's commercial air transportation needs through the [year] 2020". PSATC Options Subcommittee concludes that "all" of the Sea-Tac options should not be studied further. | Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, and Petition for Statutory Writs of Review, ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 | ||
| City of Des Moines establishes legal defense fund. | |||||
| 10/01/1991 | Puget Sound Council of Governments (PSCOG) disbands | Flight Plan Final EIS, p.1-22 | |||
| 1992 | 03/10/1992 | City of Burien is formed through a special election held March 10, 1992 | King County Ordinance No 10236 | ||
| 10/01/1992 | PSATC issues 'Flightplan' Final EIS recommendations "calling for the phased implementation of a Multiple Airport System including the addition of a dependent air carrier runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport before the year 2000, and the introduction of scheduled air carrier service to Paine Field before the year 2000, and the identification of a two-runway supplemental airport site in Pierce County for development by the year 2010 in collaboration with the military, and failing that, the identification of a suitable site in Thurston County." | The Flight Plan Project Final EIS Oct. 1992, p.1-22. | |||
| 5/01/1992 | State Legislature imposes a two-year moratorium on new runway construction at Sea-Tac Airport pending the findings of AIRTRAC. | ||||
| 05/01/1992` | Des Moines, Normandy Park, Highline Community College and Highline Hospital create the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs (RCAA) and hire environmental attorney Richard Aramburu. | ||||
| A new regional planning organization, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is formed from the remnants of PSCOG. PSRC appoints itself as the regional transportation planning organization (RTPO) for the four county area consisting of King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap County. PSRC then expands its voting membership to include the Port's of Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma, as well as non-elected officials from various transportation bureaucracies including the Department Reference No. of Transportation and the State Transportation Commission. | |||||
| The State legislature creates the Washington State Air Transportation Commission (AIRTRAC). AIRTRAC is charged with determining policy recommendations for meeting Washington State's air transportation capacity needs. | Final Report and Policy Recommendations to Legislative Transportation Committee November 1993 prepared by Washington State Air Transportation Commission | ||||
| 1993 | 04/29/1993 | The Puget Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) General Assembly adopts Resolution A-93-03 which provides "...that the region should vigorously pursue, as the preferred alternative, a major supplemental airport and a third runway at Sea-Tac. 1. The Major supplemental airport should be located in the four-county area within a reasonable travel time from significant markets in the region. 2. The third runway shall be authorized by April 1, 1996: a. Unless shown through and environmental assessment, which will include financial and market feasibility studies, that a supplemental site is feasible and can eliminate the need for the third runway; and b. After demand management and system management programs are pursued and achieved or determined to be infeasible, based on independent evaluation; and c. When noise reduction performance objectives are scheduled, purchased and achieved based on independent evaluation, and based on measurement of real noise impacts. | Resolution No. A-93-03 | ||
| 11/1993 | Washington State Air Transportation Commission issues "AIRTRAC" study's "Policy Recommendations". Recommendations state "adding the third [Sea-Tac] runway alone does not solve the region's long-term capacity problem. Forecasted growth in the demand for air transportation, based upon regional population, employment, and economic projections, suggests a demand for capacity beyond what the third runway alone would provide. The design capacity of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with the third runway could be reached between the years 2005 and 2010." | Final Report and Policy Recommendations to Legislative Transportation Committee November 1993, p.21 | |||
| 1994 | 05/27/94 | PSRC issues press release stating that its consultants "have identified 12 sites which, through preliminary analysis, seem to have some potential as possible areas where a major supplemental airport could be feasible." | PSRC Press Release dated May 27, 1994 | ||
| 06/30/94 | Major Supplemental Airport (MSA) Working Group announces six sites that have been identified as viable locations for a supplemental airport. | Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, and Petition for Statutory Writs of Review, ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.11) and PSRC Report prepared by TAMS dated July 1994 | |||
| 9/94 | PSRC Transportation and growth Management Policy Boards jointly determine that three of the six sites - Arlington and Marysville in Snohomish County, and Tanwax Lake in Pierce County - meet the guidelines set forth in PSRC Resolution A-93-03. The Boards therefore recommend that these three sites be evaluated further and in more detail in Phase II of the MSA study. | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.12) | |||
| 10/94 | PSRC adopts Resolution 94-01 which abandons further studies of supplement sites for new regional airport | PSRC Resolution 94-01 | |||
| 1995 | 1/27/95 | Federal District Court invalidates portions of Port of Seattle "Avigation Easement" imposed on homeowners participating in federally funded noise insulation program administered by Port of Seattle | Minute Order, Favro et al. vs. Port of Seattle , Federal District Court, Case no. C92-1634Z, Docket no. 311 | ||
| 2/95 | Boeing Field starts Master Plan Update | ||||
| 2/95 | Late-night cargo flights move from Sea- Tac to KCIA (Boeing Field); Seattle and Tukwila residents from Citizens fed up with airport noise (CFAN) | Late-night cargo flights move from Sea- Tac to KCIA (Boeing Field); Seattle and Tukwila residents from Citizens fed up with airport noise (CFAN) | |||
| 4/3/95 | King County Council creates advisory council for King County (Boeing Field) Airport (Motion No. 95-23) | ||||
| 4/27/95 | Draft EIS for Third runway issued; RCAA and others file voluminous comments. 80 acres of Miller Creek 30 acres of Des Moines Creek 34 acres of Green River (Auburn) + 30 new acres | Master Plan Update Draft Environmental Impact Statement prepared by Port of Seattle dated May 1995 | |||
| 5/19/95 | City of SeaTac files litigation with Port over zoning & other powers. Port claims right to override all City policies in conflict with Port wishes. | Amended Complaint for Declaratory Judgment and Declarative Relief City of Sea-Tac v. Port of Seattle, King Co. Superior Ct., No. 95-2-03901-4, filed May 19, 1995 | |||
| 5/95 | Washington State Legislature adopts Bill sponsored by Senator Mike Heavey et al. and secures $500,000 to study impacts of Third runway on cities of Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila. City of SeaTac declines to participate in study. | ||||
| 1995-12-08 | PSRC Expert Panel reluctantly rules that State DOT's lack of commitment to high speed rail rules out rail alternative. | Final Order dated July 27, 1995 prepared by PSRC Expert Panel on Systems and Demand Management | |||
| 12/95 | Washington State's Department of Transportation (DOT) releases study touting massive investment in improving rail travel along I-5 corridor. | Options for Passenger Rail in the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor prepared by Washington State Department of Transportation. (Reported in Seattle Times 1/4/96) | |||
| 1996 | 1/96 | According to FAA magnetic North Pole moves 3 degrees east. Complaints of Sea-Tac airport overflight noise from Rainier Valley residents explode. | |||
| 1/96 | Report issued revealing costs for Third runway and associated improvements in Port's Master Plan update of $2.2 billion dollars. Report also acknowledges that construction of a Third Sea-Tac runway cannot be completed by its previous target date of the year 2000 and would instead be constructed during the period from the year 2000 to the year 2005. | Technical Report No. 8 prepared by Port of Seattle January 1996 | |||
| 2/1/1996 |  FinalEnvironmental Impact Statement EIS-1996 issued. 5,500 pages, 7 volumes | ||||
| 03-18-1996 | Congressional hearing on Sea-Tac expansion at Des Moines Field house arranged by Congressman Randy Tate (R-9); Port refuses no new tax pledge; Spokesman for Sea-Tac's major scheduled carriers backs away from airline commitment to Third Sea-Tac runway. | Prepared Testimony of Congressman Randy Tate before the House Appropriations Committee | |||
| 03-271996 | PSRC's Expert Arbitration Panel rules that Port has not provided "meaningful and significant" reductions in noise, vetoing a Third Sea-Tac runway. | ||||
| 4/15/96 | Port of Seattle enters into consent decree with Waste Action Project (WAP) in partial settlement of environmental lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Water Act | Consent Decree Waste Action Project v. Port of Seattle, U.S. District Court, Case No. C95-1251R, dated April 15, 1996 | |||
| 4/25/96 | Noting, at its April 25, 1996 meeting, that Resolution A-93-03 provided that "[t]he third runway shall be authorized by April 1, 1996", and that the PSRC has failed to authorize the third runway by the April 1 date, PSRC's Executive Board directs its staff to begin work amending resolution A-93-03 to "remove the deadline of April 1, 1996". PSRC staff begin planning a new process for authorizing a third runway and related expansion projects at Sea-Tac airport. | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.14) | |||
| 4/30/96 | PSRC's staff send a two (2) page memorandum to municipal governments and state agencies concerning the Noise Expert Panel's (March 7, 1996) Final Decision, requesting that they review, evaluate and assess twenty eight (28) recommendations which the Port of Seattle had previously agreed to adopt or implement concerning reduction of noise impacts. PSRC memo requests that the affected municipalities and state agencies respond by May 17, 1996 (less than three (3) weeks after the request) by undertaking an extensive evaluation addressing cost, implementation schedules, analysis of benefiits, identification of obtacles, and compliance monitoring associated with construction of a third runway. | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.15) | |||
| 5/10/96 | The PSRC issues a statement on May 10, 1996 announcing that it intends to adopt an amendment to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) to include a third runway at Sea-Tac Airport. This sparks controversy because their decision comes before the May 17 deadline indicated in its April 30 request for public comment. | omplaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.15) | |||
| 5/28/96 | PSRC's staff issues an Addendum describing the proposed action as an "amend[ment] to the Aviation Program and . . . Resolution A-93-03 of the MTP to include a third runway at Sea-Tac with specific noise reduction measures." | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.16) | |||
| 6/12/96 | The Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) consisting of the City of Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Normandy Park, and Tukwila, file separate motions with PSRC's Responsible Official under the State Environmental Policy Act, ("SEPA") requesting that the PSRC prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement ("SEIS") to address the proposed MTP amendment and the new information which had come to light since the issuance of the EIS's. | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.17) | |||
| 6/27/96 | Sea-Tac area residents storm out of rigged PSRC "workshop" in Bellevue chaired by PSRC President Pierce County Executive/PSRC Chairman Doug Sutherland and Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel. Executive Board votes to recommend to the PSRC General Assembly that the agency adopt PSRC Resolution A-96-02 which purports to amend previous PSRC Resolution A-93-03 | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.17) | |||
| 7/11/96 | PSRC's Responsible Official issues its Response to Requests for Supplemental Environmental Review which concludes that the previously issued EISs were adequate for purposes of the porposed Metropolitan Transportation Plan amendment and asserts that the PSRC did not need to conduct any additional review in response to requests for supplmental analyses. | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.17) | |||
| 7/11/96 | PSRC General Assembly meeting is held at Seattle Center Flag Pavilion. PSRC members rubber stamp overturn of Resolution A-93-03, negating ruling of its own Expert Panel | Complaint ACC Cities v. PSRC, Executive Board of the PSRC, the Port of Seattle, and the Commissioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 (p.17) | |||
| 8/2/96 | Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) files 17 count suit against the Port of Seattle, Port of Seattle Commission, Puget Sound Regional Council and PSRC Executive Board. Causes of Action in the Complaint include the following Counts:
| Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, and Petition for Statutory Writs of Review The City of Des Moines, The city of Burien, The City of Federal Way, The City of Normandy Park, The City of Tukwila, Highline School District No. 401, and the Airport Communities Coalition v. The Puget Sound Regional Council, The Executive Board of the Puget Sound Regional Council, The Port of Seattle, and The Commisioners of the Port of Seattle, King County Superior Court No. 96-2-20357-2, filed Aug. 2, 1996 | |||
| 8/13/96 | Airport Communities Coalition (ACC), City of SeaTac and others begin separate State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) appeals of Third Runway EIS | Appeal of Decision on the Legal Adequacy of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Master Plan Update Development Actions at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport | |||
| 9/96 | Port of Seattle Commissioners accept advice of its legal staff and appoints friend of Port staffer as hearings examiner in matter of SEPA appeal of Third Runway EIS | ||||
| 9/96 | Congress passes House Bill 3539 requiring cost-benefit analysis for federally funded airport transportation projects, disclosure of financing plans by airports seeking federal assistance and investigation of the effects of proposed airport projects on national air transportation system | H.B. 3539 | |||
| 9/96 | Port appointed hearings examiner steps down after demand by ACC and citizens. | ||||
| 10/96 | Burien Impact Study team releases preliminary data; costs to mitigate impacts of Third runway estimated at over $3 billion dollars, with additional impacts still left to analyze. | ||||
| 1997 | FAA withholds record of decision on Third runway EIS, announces forthcoming issuance of supplmental EIS due to recently revised air capacity forecasts indicating Sea-Tac airport with a Third runway unable to accommodate region's air capacity needs. | Public Notice published in Federal Register,Highline News and Des Moines News January 8, 1997 | |||
| 2/6/97 | FAA issues supplemental EIS for public review and comment. | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, February 1997 | |||
| 09/28/1997 | City of Des Moines, City of SeaTac and Port of Seattle agree to the Des Moines Creek Basin Plan | ||||
| 2001 | The Highline School District, Port of Seattle, FAA, and Governor reach agreement on a 10-year mitigation program for the district’s fifteen most noise-impacted schools. The $200 million agreement includes $50 million contributions from the FAA and the State to address airport noise and related improvements. | ||||
| 2002 | Highline School District voters approve $189 million bond issue, which includes $50 million to address airport noise. The Washington State legislature approves $5 million in first year funding. The Port of Seattle commits $100 million (most of that from FAA grants) towards the program. FAA approves Sea-Tac FAR Part 150 Program, and Port begins implementation. | ||||
| Although the City of Des Moines is still, ostensibly, against the Third Runway, new Mayor Don Wasson offers to re-start a proposal to build a conveyor to transport fill dirt from the Des Moines Marina directly to the Third Runway work site. The idea again goes nowhere. | |||||
| 12/08/2002 | City of Des Moines withdraws from ACC in contentious vote after spending $5.5MM in legal fees. | ||||
| 12/10/2002 | The Port announces the creation of a new Economic Development Division to handle Real Estate and Tourism. | ||||
| 2003 | Port creates Fly Quiet committee to find innovative ways to further reduce the impacts from aircraft noise. | ||||
| Des Moines Mayor Don Wasson resigns following a recall campaign organised by ousted councilmember Dave Kaplan and long time Highline School Board Director Ed Pina. There are revelations that Wasson, in concert with the contractor behind the conveyor, broke campaign finance laws to get their slate of candidates elected. | |||||
| 2004 | 05/01/2004 | In May 2004, the State Supreme Court largely cleared the way for construction to resume, and on August 19, 2004, the Airport Communities Coalition dropped litigation. The coalition had spent $15 million over 10 years campaigning and litigating against the third runway. Although they failed to stop the runway project, former opponents noted they had won major environmental benefits, including improved quality of fill dirt, state-of-the-art stormwater treatment, relocation of a salmon-spawning stream, and creation or enhancement of wetlands. | |||
| New Concourse A and South Arrivals Hall open at Sea-Tac Airport. | |||||
| PSRC Executive Board adopts Resolution EB-04-01 encouraging the State to address long-range air transportation capacity needs as they update the Washington Transportation Plan. | |||||
| 2005 | New Central Terminal and Pacific Marketplace open at Sea-Tac Airport. | ||||
| Fly Quiet Committee completes its recommendations. Sea-Tac Airport begins implementing the Fly Quiet Program. | |||||
| State Legislature adopts ESSB-5121 directing the WSDOT Aviation Division to undertake a three-phase long-term statewide air transportation capacity study, to be completed in 2009. FAA approves funding for the remaining portion of Phases II and I. | |||||
| Southwest Airlines submits proposal to King County International Airport for construction of an 8-gate passenger terminal. The airline proposed to move its entire Sea-Tac Airport passenger operation to Boeing Field. Alaska Airlines submits a competing proposal to construct new passenger terminal facilities at Boeing Field. King County denies both requests, stating Boeing Field does not have enough space to accommodate both proposals, and a decision could not be made to approve one over the other. Both airlines accept the decision. | |||||
| Highline Forum emerges out of informal discussions being conducted by electeds in airport communities and Port after conclusion of law suits. Initially, Normandy Park is excluded. The Port claims they cannot be included until their separate litigation over Miller Creek is resolved. | |||||
| City of Des Moines begins negotiations to develop the South Clear Zone from the Sea-Tac Communities Plan as The Des Moines Creek Business Park. | |||||
| 2006 | WSDOT begins work on the Long-Term Air Transportation Capacity Study (LATS). | ||||
| 2007 | 12/2007 | State Auditor Brian Sonntag used new powers given to his office by a 2005 initiative sponsored by professional ballot-measure promoter Tim Eyman, to undertake a performance audit of the Port. His report shows waste of $97 million in construction contracts and called its construction management "vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse" (Young, "Third Runway About to Open..."). The state audit triggers a federal criminal investigation that lasted two years but did not lead to any charges being filed. | |||
| 2008 | 11/20/2008 | The Third Runway (34L/16R) opens. Final cost of $1.1 billion--over 300% over budget. | |||
| 12/2008 | Port Commission hires former United States Attorney Mike McKay to conduct an internal investigation of Port construction management practices. McKay's report is as damning as Sonntag's earlier audit. It found that Port employees repeatedly broke state law or Port policy and committed civil fraud at least 10 times, with most instances connected to the third runway project. Within days of the report's release, John Rothnie, project manager for the third runway, resigned as disciplinary action against him began. Seven other employees were suspended or reprimanded for their role in misleading the commission about the actual cost of one of the runway contracts. | ||||
| 2009 | 09/28/2009 | CASE/RCAA hold community forum with representatives from Port of Seattle Noise Office and FAA to discuss complaints from community on Third Runway. | |||
| 2012 | Port Commission first discusses the need for further expansion, labeled, the Terminal Enhancement Program. By year end it is renamed the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP.) Fenceline community governments. | ||||
| 2015 | First public briefings on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan. | ||||
| 2017 | Dave Kaplan retires after twenty years on the Des Moines City Council. Eight months later he is hired by the Port of Seattle as their local government relations manager. | ||||
| 2018 | Port of Seattle establishes the Sea-Tac Aiport Roundtable (StART). In contrast to the Highline Forum, StART is composed of community members. | ||||
| 2019 | StART member cities Burien, Des Moines and Federal Way withdraw. | ||||
| MOV-UP Published | |||||
| HB 1109 Community Health of Airport Communities | |||||
| 2020 | 02-25-2020 | Port Commission votes for Accelerated Sound Insulation Program. All projects remaining from 1996 commitments to be completed by 2026. | |||
| Member cities Burien, Des Moines and Federal Way re-join StART with new facilitator but no major reforms. Some cities replace community members with city staff. Residents from Vashon Island Fair Skies (VIFS) become the majority of public audience, however neither the Port or member cities favor increasing membership. | |||||
| 2022 | International Arrivals Facility opens |