TagZone 3 Committee(9)

This is a draft transcript from a Sea-Tac Community Plan television program in which resident Pat Ashcroft and noise researcher Roy Richards of Robin M. Towne & Associates discuss the serious noise impact on communities surrounding Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Richards explains that the Port of Seattle and King County sponsored a comprehensive noise study covering approximately 50 square miles around the airport, measuring over 4,200 aircraft takeoff and landing events at 66 monitoring locations. The study aimed both to document the extent of noise exposure and to provide a planning tool for future land use and facility design decisions.

This document outlines the workshop agenda for the King County Planning and Community Development Committee's General Development Guide, chaired by Councilwoman Cynthia Sullivan of District 2. The 110-minute session included a staff presentation, a Muni League-led explanation of the public input process, and small group discussions where residents were asked to share community concerns with the Council. Citizens selected from small groups reported back their findings, followed by brief public comments and concluding remarks from Sullivan.

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.

A memorandum from James Branch documenting 23 questions raised by the public at a Zone Three Steering Committee meeting regarding airport development, noise issues, land acquisition programs, and community concerns around Sea-Tac Airport. Questions cover topics including flight patterns, noise abatement, land use planning, and community impacts.

A August 1978 news article reports that the Port of Seattle Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), formed in 1973 to oversee the Sea-Tac Communities Plan, voted to continue its quarterly meetings for another year rather than restructure or disband. The committee, which includes representatives from the airport, airlines, FAA, King County, local schools, businesses, and neighborhood groups, had been repeatedly disrupted by complaints from Zone 3 residents — those most directly affected by airport noise — who felt they lacked fair representation. Members debated alternatives such as community forums and more formal meeting procedures, but ultimately agreed that PAC remained the only venue bringing all stakeholders together to discuss airport-related issues.

A June 1972 noise study conducted by Washington State's Department of Social and Health Services measured aircraft noise levels at twelve locations near homes and schools in Zone Three around Sea-Tac Airport. All recorded noise levels exceeded 80 dBA, with a peak of 107 dBA, caused by jet aircraft including the 707, 727, 737, 747, and DC-8 during landing approaches and takeoffs. The study was requested by citizens representing 2,184 residences in the zone and aimed to assess the health impact of low-flying aircraft noise on the surrounding community.