A 1979 Port of Seattle memo from Airport Acquisition Manager George Sutter to the Citizens Advisory Committee for Hardship outlines Tom Fest's application for hardship acquisition of his property (Parcel Z-685), prompted by unexpected sewer hook-up costs totaling approximately $5,900. The Port expected to purchase the property within two to three years, but the Fest family sought an immediate buyout due to financial strain. As an alternative, Mr. Fest threatened to subdivide the property via short plat — a move that would increase the Port's eventual acquisition costs — but indicated he would abandon that plan if hardship acquisition was approved.

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Memorandum from George Sutter regarding Tom Fest’s hardship acquisition application for property that will likely be purchased by the Port within 2-3 years. The Fest family faces additional costs of $5,400 for mandatory sewer hook-up plus $500 for contractor fees, prompting the hardship request.

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As the source for federal transportation grants, the Puget Sound Regional Council was charged with developing a system to meet the growing need for commercial aviation. When the search for a second airport failed, they authorized the Port of Seattle to build the Third Runway, with a mandate to develop a noise abatement and mitigation program. In their effort to stop the Third Runway, the ACC argued over every detail of the Port's efforts--including property buyouts and sound insulation. The dispute was meant to be settled by a three member Expert Arbitration Panel. This is their final report. It finds 2-1, that the Port's program was insufficient in several respects. Despite that, funding for the Third Runway was approved by the PSRC, and the 'Port Package' program, proceeded largely unchanged. Expert Arbitration Panel's final decision finding that the Port of Seattle had not shown sufficient reduction in real on-the-ground noise impacts to satisfy noise reduction conditions required for approval of a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport. The majority decision concluded the Port's noise abatement programs were insufficient despite being impressive in scope.

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