TagCity of Burien(345)

In a July 17, 2020 email to Burien Airport Committee members, Sharyn Parker urges the City of Burien to accept Sea-Tac Airport's offer to place a temporary portable noise monitor in the city, noting there is currently no monitor near the 'New Route' where Q400 turboprop and jet aircraft continue to fly westbound during north-flow conditions. Parker cautions that site selection is a complex process requiring careful attention to obstacles, noise buffers, and power availability, drawing on her experience with King County International Airport where similar projects took two to four years. She recommends the city respond with a simple 'yes' by the July 24, 2020 deadline and request an extension if needed to properly identify one or two suitable monitoring locations.

This Third Amendment to a consultant contract between the City of SeaTac, the City of Burien, and Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP extends the contract term to December 31, 2021, while suspending all consultant services starting January 1, 2020, until the SeaTac Airport Master Plan (SAMP) environmental review documents are released for public comment. The suspension was put in place due to delays in the SEPA/NEPA environmental review process, which was not expected to conclude until late 2020 or early 2021. The amendment also acknowledges that Aviation Compatibility Consulting, LLC and ABCx2, LLC have combined, with services to be performed jointly by Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. and ABCx2, LLC.

In March 2020, the Burien City Council wrote to the FAA requesting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that fully accounts for the cumulative noise and air quality impacts of Sea-Tac Airport's rapid growth, which saw operations increase by nearly 30% between 2014 and 2018. The letter argues that multiple airport expansion projects — including new terminal gates and altered flight paths — were each approved without significant environmental review, but together have caused substantial harm to surrounding communities. The council also cites a 2019 Ninth Circuit Court ruling that found the FAA failed to properly assess cumulative impacts, and demands the agency conduct a thorough analysis using a pre-expansion baseline of 2013.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals order filed January 28, 2020 in Case No. 18-71705, City of Burien v. Daniel K. Elwell (Acting Administrator) and Federal Aviation Administration. Panel of Judges Ikuta, Bennett, and Rakoff (sitting by designation from S.D.N.Y.) denies City of Burien’s motion to recall the mandate (Dkt. 61) and request for publication (Dkt.

This January 2020 FAA document updates a noise and air traffic policy for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), allowing the airport's control tower to automatically direct southbound turboprop aircraft to make a westerly turn shortly after takeoff during north-flow operations, between 6am and 10pm. The change, originally implemented in 2016 but suspended after a legal challenge by the City of Burien, underwent a thorough environmental and noise review before being reinstated. The FAA determined that while the procedure may slightly concentrate turboprop flight paths, the resulting noise increases remain well below federally established thresholds requiring further environmental review.

This January 2020 FAA document updates a flight procedure at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), allowing the airport's air traffic control tower to automatically direct southbound turboprop aircraft to make a westerly turn shortly after takeoff during north-flow operations, between 6am and 10pm. The change, which applies to roughly 90% of affected turboprop departures, was previously halted after the City of Burien filed a legal challenge. A thorough environmental and noise review found only minor noise increases in some areas, well below the FAA's thresholds requiring further review.

This document outlines the City of Burien's 2020 State Legislative Priorities, presented at the Highline Forum on January 22, 2020. It covers six key areas: affordable housing, behavioral health, public safety, climate change, economic development, and transportation. Notable transportation items include pursuing a comprehensive city transportation bill and securing $3 million for the SR 518 westbound on-ramp to Des Moines Memorial Drive.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals mandate in Case No. 18-71705, City of Burien v. Daniel K. Elwell (Acting FAA Administrator) and Federal Aviation Administration. The formal mandate issued January 21, 2020 pursuant to Rule 41(a) of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, giving effect to the court’s judgment entered November 27, 2019. Clerk Molly C.