TagJody Yamanaka(9)

In September 1983, the Port of Seattle sent a follow-up letter to residents who attended Noise Remedy Workshops held August 29–31, 1983, regarding aircraft noise impacts near Henry M. Jackson International Airport (Sea-Tac). The workshops, which drew approximately 350 community members, focused on a proposed 'purchase guarantee' program that would allow residential property owners in high-noise areas to sell their homes at fair market value to the airport operator. Attendees provided input on guidelines for determining the order in which properties would be bought out under such a program.

In May 1983, the Port of Seattle held three community workshops to gather resident input on noise remedies for Sea-Tac International Airport, drawing over 120 attendees from surrounding neighborhoods. Common concerns included faster program implementation, expanded land acquisition boundaries, stricter FAA noise abatement procedures, and a preference for quieter aircraft. The feedback was compiled into a summary forwarded to decision-makers in agencies and local governments with the authority to implement future noise remedies.

In 1983, the Port of Seattle launched an update to its Sea-Tac International Airport Noise Remedy Program, originally established in the 1976 Sea-Tac/Communities Plan, to address changes in aircraft noise patterns, finances, and community needs. The update aimed to reassess and revise noise reduction measures after noise levels shifted unexpectedly—decreasing in some areas northeast and southeast of the airport while increasing to the east and west. Public workshops and community involvement were central to the process, with a recommended updated program targeted for presentation to the Port Commission by mid-1985.

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 January 1982 letter from the FAA's Northwest Region to the Port of Seattle reviews a draft aviation demand forecast for Boeing Field (BFI) prepared for the SEA/BFI Airspace Study. The FAA requests that the final report include more detailed aircraft mix data by class, a full list of assumptions behind the forecasts (such as economic conditions, fuel costs, and general aviation trends), and a clear indication that the projections are unconstrained. The agency also recommends presenting both high and low forecast ranges to account for uncertainty, particularly in long-range general aviation projections.

In a December 28, 1981 memorandum from Boeing Field/King County International Airport, Airport Manager Donald W. Smith responds to a Port of Seattle representative regarding the forecasting methodology for aviation demands at BFI. Smith confirms that the proposed approach is consistent with prior discussions and historical statistics, and acknowledges that, given limited current information and resources, the methods and sources used are acceptable.

A December 17, 1981 letter from FAA Acting Chief Mark A. Beisse to the Port of Seattle summarizes the FAA's major review comments on the draft Sea-Tac Noise Exposure Update Report. The letter identifies multiple deficiencies in the draft, including inadequate coverage of flight track variance ranges, INM model verification, portable noise meter data, and noise impact projections under different operational scenarios. The FAA requested that these issues be addressed in the final report and asked the Port to clarify whether certain project tasks, such as a population and land use survey, would be dropped from the study.