TagSunset Park(8)

The Tub Lake/Sunset Park site in SeaTac, located one mile north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, was contaminated by decades of illegal dumping of waste oil and bilge oil from ships between 1941 and 1945, as well as leaking underground storage tanks at a King County road maintenance facility. Environmental sampling conducted in 1990 detected petroleum hydrocarbons, benzene, and other chemicals exceeding cleanup standards in soil, sediment, and water, with contamination estimated to cover 2-3 acres up to 12 feet deep beneath nearby playing fields. The Port of Seattle, which owns the southern wetlands portion of the site including Tub Lake, fenced the area in the 1970s after demolishing residences in the airport's landing pathway, though public access and ongoing contamination remained concerns at the time of the assessment.

A February 9, 1982 letter from Port of Seattle Director of Aviation Oris D. Dunham to Bill Bowlin addresses density guidelines for the North Sea-Tac Park, located under flight paths at Sea-Tac International Airport. The letter clarifies that the gymnasium and meeting areas of the former Sunset Junior High School complex are subject to a recommended 60-person limit to reduce noise impacts on gatherings beneath the flight paths. However, the Port and FAA indicated they would consider granting special permission for the Greater Highline Community Parks Board to exceed that limit for one-time fundraising events benefiting long-term park development.

A letter to the editor of Highline Times discussing the Port of Seattle’s acquisition of land north of Sea-Tac Airport for safety purposes and defending FAA density guidelines for the proposed North SeaTac Park. The author argues that the land was purchased to remove residents from an environmentally unacceptable area and should be restricted to

In a June 1981 letter to the FAA's Northwest Regional Director, Zone 3 citizen group representative Virginia E. Dana expresses qualified support for the FAA's recommended people-per-acre density guidelines for recreational use of North Sea-Tac Park, while raising concerns about safety and population exposure under flight paths. The letter highlights that the proposed recreational density of 40 people per acre across 53 acres could allow up to 2,120 people in an area from which only roughly 1,000 residents were displaced through the airport's land buyout program. Dana urges continued attention to airport safety criteria and environmental protection for communities living adjacent to Sea-Tac Airport.

This is an agenda for a March 17 board meeting covering reports from the Sunset Division, Treasurer, Site Development Division, Booster Club, and Security Division. Key topics include an April 3 fundraiser with square dancing and a flea market, oval track restoration damaged by motor vehicles, equestrian and motocross lease discussions, and a proposed formal policy on motorized vehicles. Notes also reference Little League land availability and security gate installations at the property.

In this July 19, 1974 letter, Donald G. Shay, Director of Aviation for the Port of Seattle, writes to the FAA's Planning Department to clarify the Port's intentions regarding land acquisition near Sea-Tac International Airport. He explains that negotiations with Highline Public Schools will result in the purchase of Maywood Elementary and Sunset Junior High schools, with educational buildings bought outright for extended clear zone land use, while playground and recreational areas will be handled separately and made available to the surrounding public. Shay emphasizes that recreational use is a high priority in the acquisition area and that any further development would undergo full citizen and government review.

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.