TagSustainable Airport Master Plan(237)

The Highline Forum held its September 26, 2018 meeting in Normandy Park, focusing on SR 509 and SR 518 transportation projects alongside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport-related topics. The agenda included updates on the Sustainable Airport Master Plan, the StART (Sea-Tac Airport Roundtable) community engagement program, and airport noise programs, presented by Port of Seattle officials. Infrastructure improvements in Normandy Park and a WSDOT briefing on regional highway gateway projects were also on the agenda.

A public meeting was held on September 10, 2018, at Highline Community College to allow Des Moines residents to weigh in on the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), which outlines Sea-Tac Airport's growth strategy through 2027. The plan proposes removing limits on Third Runway use and adding 80,000 more annual flights on top of the existing 416,000, raising community concerns about noise, health risks, property values, and environmental justice. Residents were urged to attend and submit comments before the scoping period closed on September 28, 2018.

This document details billing records from Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P., a law firm hired jointly by the cities of Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac to review the Sea-Tac Airport Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). Under an Interlocal Agreement executed March 6, 2018, the cities shared a $175,000 contract based on per-capita funding rates, with the first invoice (covering July 23–September 25, 2018) totaling $62,685.58. The billing backup includes itemized legal services such as research, teleconferences, document review, and SAMP analysis performed by firm attorneys.

In August 2018, the Mayor and City Council of Federal Way, Washington, wrote to Port of Seattle commissioners requesting a 60-day extension—to November 27, 2018—of the public comment period for Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP). The letter cited the complexity of nearly 1,500 pages of technical documents and growing constituent concerns about aircraft noise and airport expansion. The council argued that the original four-month review window was insufficient for a project of this scale, which includes a new 19-gate terminal, taxiway extensions, and dozens of other infrastructure projects aimed at increasing passenger capacity from 46.9 million to 66 million by 2034.

This report, produced by Community Attributes Inc. for the Port of Seattle and revised in August 2018, analyzes the economic impacts of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac). It is included as Appendix K in a broader study covering socioeconomics and children's health topics related to airport operations. The findings are intended to inform decision makers about the airport's role in the regional economy and its effects on surrounding communities.

The Federal Way City Council held a special meeting on July 17, 2018, featuring a study session on the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), with presentations from Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins and directors of Capital Project Delivery and Aviation Environment and Sustainability. The session allowed council members to ask questions and hear updates on airport expansion and sustainability efforts relevant to the Federal Way area. The meeting also included a citizen comment period and an executive session regarding potential litigation.

A May 2018 Port of Seattle Commission briefing assessed the financial impact of the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) on Sea-Tac Airport, finding that adding SAMP projects could push airline cost-per-enplaned-passenger (CPE) to an infeasible $36 by 2027. To keep costs within an acceptable range of $25–$30, the Port identified the need to increase non-aeronautical revenues, control operating and maintenance expenses, and reduce projected capital spending. The briefing concluded that SAMP is financially achievable, but only with vigilant cost management.