TagFAA(514)

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.

This document presents F.A.A. Density Guidelines for North Sea-Tac Park, a neighborhood near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It maps out population density limits across different zones, ranging from 1.5 people per acre in the Clear Zone closest to the airport, to 2 people per acre in the Extended Clear Zone, up to 20-40 people per acre in areas farther from the runway. The guidelines reflect FAA safety and noise policy restrictions that limit how many residents can live in areas most directly affected by airport flight paths.

This 1978 background report, prepared for the Washington State House of Representatives, examines the potential impact of allowing Concorde supersonic jet flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac). It finds that even one Concorde flight per day would expose an additional 1,000 residents to severe aircraft noise and could increase the Port of Seattle's property acquisition costs by $10–15 million. The report also explores the legal boundaries of airport noise regulations following a landmark court case that affirmed airport proprietors may set their own noise rules, provided those rules are reasonable, non-arbitrary, and non-discriminatory.

In the absence of such guidance, what may be termed a "let them sue" approach was essentially followed by the Port during the period from 1957 to 1972.

H.R. 7720, the Airport and Airway Development Extension Act of 1975, was introduced in the House of Representatives on June 9, 1975, to amend the Airport and Airway Development Act of 1970. The bill sought to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants for airport development and provide direct payments to certain sponsors during fiscal years 1976 through 1980. It also established national policy for protecting and enhancing natural resources and environmental quality in airport development projects, including measures to mitigate adverse environmental effects from airport operations and aircraft.

In this July 1974 letter, George L. Buley of the FAA's Airports Planning Branch writes to Arthur H. Yoshioka of the Port of Seattle regarding the SeaTac/Communities Plan study. Buley recommends holding two or three public meetings in the study area to present the study's conclusions and recommendations to citizens before they are brought before elected officials of the Port and King County. He emphasizes the importance of well-publicized meetings that allow citizens adequate opportunity to ask questions, and urges that the topic be discussed at the upcoming July PAC and TAC meetings.

A April 3, 1974 letter from FAA Northwest Region Chief of Airports Planning George L. Buley responds to Seattle resident Mrs. Virginia Dana regarding the possible closure of Sunset Junior High School. The letter acknowledges that the school falls within an area the Port of Seattle proposed to acquire under the FAA's Airport Development Aid Program, and confirms the FAA was actively working with the Port on an environmental impact statement covering the proposed acquisition. Both Sunset Junior High School and Maywood Elementary School were being considered in that environmental review process.

A petition from David M. Des Voigne and property owners requesting the Port of Seattle establish South 216 Street as the southern terminus for interim land acquisition. The document includes FAA policy regarding land acquisition under the Airport Development Aid Program (ADAP).

A 1973 Port of Seattle memorandum outlines a proposed interim land acquisition program around Sea-Tac International Airport, targeting properties to the north and south of the airport's existing boundaries to establish expanded clear zones. The plan covers approximately 610 residential parcels and 75 acres of open land valued at an estimated $15.46 million, with the Port seeking over $8 million in Federal Aviation Administration funding to offset costs. Land acquisition was projected to begin no earlier than July 1, 1974, following required environmental impact statements, housing relocation plans, and FAA review and approval.