by Jack Mayne
The Seattle-Tacoma International Taxicab Association (STITA) lost another round in its fight to retain a contract with the Port of Seattle to be the sole provider of cab service leaving the airport, a contract it has held for about 20 years.
The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday (Aug. 5) declined to review an appeals court decision upholding the Port of Seattle’s award of the outbound taxi service contract to Yellow Cab. The Court also dissolved a stay preventing a new contract between Yellow and the Port and, within moments of the high court’s decision being announced Friday morning, the Port signed a new contract with Yellow that will take effect on Nov. 1
Chris Van Dyk, the principal of the Bainbridge Media Group and the person who authored the Yellow Cab bid, issued a news release Friday:
“You will be pleased to know that . . . the Washington State Supreme Court denied certiorari (review) of the STITA appeal of the temporary injunction that had been issued, blocking contract signing between the Port and Yellow, in this case,” Van Dyk wrote. “Accordingly, the Port of Seattle has signed the contract for outbound taxicab services with Puget Sound Dispatch dba Yellow Taxi Association, and Yellow will begin outbound on-demand (curbside pickup) taxicab service at SeaTac on Nov. 1, 2010.”
The original STITA contract was supposed to have ended on August 31, but was extended by the port for 60 days because of the legal battle, plus the fact Yellow would need time to redeploy cabs to the airport and to make other arrangement to take over the service, said Perry Cooper, spokesman for the airport.
Despite the setback, STITA attorney Michael Goldfarb of the Seattle firm of Peterson Young and Putra, said the case was still a long way from being over.
Goldfarb says he plans to file a motion in another suit involving cab service at the airport. STITA will allege the contract signed between Yellow and the Port is illegal because there were “significant changes: made after the contract outlined in Yellow’s original bid.
“Our position is that the Port negotiated wholesale changes to the agreement and any such changes were never approved by the Port Commission (in a public meeting),” said Goldfarb. “We will ask the (King County Superior Court) to nullify the contract,” the attorney said.
“Even though the important issues raised by this first case won’t be heard by the state’s highest court, we still have a strong position in a second case,” said Jesse Buttar, STITA spokesman. “We still look to the Port to restore the public trust in this contract and process.”
REMINDER: The first in a series of public workshops for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” is scheduled for Wednesday night (Feb. 24th) at Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines beginning at 5:15pm.
So if you have something to say about airport noise, this would be the place to air your thoughts and hope that the Port of Seattle hears you.
Doors open at 5pm, with the program beginning at 5:15pm.
Here are the details:
WHAT: Public workshop for Sea-Tac Airport’s “Part 150 Noise Study” program
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 24th beginning at 5:15pm.
WHERE: Mt. Rainier High School, located at 22450 19th Ave South in Des Moines.
INFO: From a press release:
Are you bothered by airport noise?
Do you have specific questions you’d like answered related to airport noise?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, please consider attending the Part 150 workshop at Mount Rainier High School (22450 19th Avenue South Des Moines, WA) on Wednesday Feb 24 from 5 to 7 pm.
“Part 150″ is an FAA regulation that provides for airport operators, such as the Port of Seattle which owns and operates Seatac airport, to study ways of reducing airport noise. Part 150 studies are a two year process, with five or six workshops . The Feb 24 meeting is the kickoff for a new Part 150 study, the last Part 150 study wrapped up in 2001.
The “hope” of a Part 150 study is that the airport operator will then actually implement some of these ways of reducing noise. So how do we turn hope into reality? The answer is: citizen involvement and action.
At the first workshop on Feb 24, the Port and its consultant, Landrum and Brown, are committed to listening to citizen requests for what they would like to have included in the study.
So:
1. Please attend the workshop, and bring a neighbor too. (but if you can’t make this time, which is definitely inconvenient for many people, there’s an alternative below).
2. Please bring your questions in written form.
- We anticipate the workshop will include small group breakouts of 15 to 25 minutes. The “facilitators” are not likely to have time for all questions.
So, it is really important to bring written questions. With your written questions:
- Please include your name and mailing address
- Please ask for a written response within 30 days
- Please feel free to send a copy via email or mail to RCAA, the Regional Commission on Airport Affairs.
RCAA is funded by local governments as a resource for airport – related issues. RCAA is tracking the questions citizens are asking as a part of a project monitoring the Part 150 process. There have been times when questions asked of the Port did not get a satisfactory answer. If you put your questions in writing, cc them to RCAA, and send the responses to RCAA as well, there is a much higher chance no one’s questions will fall through the cracks.
RCAA can be reached by email at rcaanews@earthlink.net or by mail at:
19900 4th Ave SW
Normandy Park, WA 98166=======
For more information about Part 150 and the workshops:
–The RCAA blog will have periodic updates. The web address is:
http://latestnewsonairportaffairs.blogspot.com/
It is linked to from the main RCAA web site, at www.rcaanews.org
Note RCAA will be posting some topic areas on the blog you may want to consider for your questions.
The Port of Seattle has a Part 150 web page. The address is:
http://www.airportsites.net/SEA-Part150/
Also remember the Port has a noise incident report form online, available here:
Read our previous coverage of this issue here.
| Aug ’09 |
| 19 |
| 7:00 pm |
Residents of the Highline area are invited to a community meeting about airport noise on Wednesday, Aug. 19th from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Des Moines City Hall. The meeting will be hosted by local legislators, including Senator Karen Keiser, and State Representatives Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall, along with Des Moines City Councilwoman Susan White.
Although the state Legislature does not oversee and has no jurisdiction over Sea-Tac Airport flight operations, the district’s elected officials are hosting this discussion to help inform residents of the decision-making process and provide an opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns on issues from flight times to eligibility for noise mitigation projects.
Rep. Dave Upthegrove
Joining the legislators will be the Noise Programs Manager at Sea-Tac Airport, who will be on hand to present information and answer questions. The Noise Programs Office works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration, the airlines, and local communities to monitor existing noise programs and develop new ways of reducing airport and aircraft noise.
“As someone born and raised in the Highline area, I’ve experienced airplane noise first-hand,” said State Representative Dave Upthegrove (D – Des Moines), the meeting’s organizer. “Since operations have begun on the third runway, I have heard from many neighbors and Highline residents with questions and concerns about noise. This meeting will not only be an opportunity to learn more about flight operations and noise mitigation programs, but also get questions answered and share concerns.”
WHAT: Community meeting on airplane noise with state and local officials
WHEN: Wednesday, Aug. 19th, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Des Moines City Hall Council Chambers, located at 21630 11th Avenue South, Suite B
Over 150 area residents turned out Sunday to hear lawyers discuss an upcoming class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle over the third runway.
by Jack Mayne
Big 757s taking off and landing right over your house can jar nerves and rattle lifestyles, yet a lot of people have to live that way every day – and many are ready to fight on in court.
“I can’t sleep at night,” said one person at a meeting Sunday afternoon at the SeaTac Community Center. “It got better for a while, but then they opened the new runway and now I can’t hear people in the room,” said another person, “or what is on TV.” Still another said people had moved from his rental properties and others said the value of their property, already hammered by the faltering economy, have gone lower because of the November opening of the runway. Still another resident of the area told of flashing laser lights that “even after you get used to them, they startle you.”
A spokesman said the Port would like to know more about this because there have been illegal usages of lasers focused at planes recently and it is working with police to find and stop this activity. Anger and resentment is building in the area because people think the Port of Seattle is not keeping their promise not to use the new 8,500-foot runway except in bad weather or as a backup to the other two runways. The Sunday meeting was held so the downtown Seattle law firm of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Kosnoff could explain the class action lawsuit they are drafting that seeks to make the port stop using the runway for daily takeoffs and landings (see sidebar).
“The Port says they are operating within the law, but that is not true if it (negatively) impacts you,” said law firm partner Darrell Cochran to an estimated 150 to 200 people at the Sea-Tac Community Center Sunday afternoon. “We will be filing a lawsuit – June 15th is the estimate (when the suit will be filed).”
Area residents, some who have fought the Port and the runway for two decades or more, have complained of a variety of impacts, but what most infuriates people is that the third runway now is a main runway.
“What we hear is that the port has not told the truth on the third runway’s use as a backup,” said Cochran. “Every landing since it has opened has landed on it. We have seen documents that it will be in fulltime use – that the Port will continue to use it as a fulltime runway, even though the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was told it would be a backup runway.”
A Port of Seattle spokesman said there has been a temporary six-month closure of the airport’s longest and oldest runway because it needs to be rebuilt. The third and newest runway is now being used only in the interim fulltime. Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said Monday the project is costing $52 million in federal funds. The work is being carried out during the spring and summer months so that it is completed as quickly as possible.
A brand new control light system is being installed on the first (eastern most) runway because all planes using the other two runways need to cross it.
“It’s going to be noisier for a six-month period,” said Cooper. 
Statistics by the Port on their Sea-Tac website show that prior to April 13, the number of landings and takeoffs on the new runway were close to the number of uses the Port had estimated in its Environmental Impact Statement.
“You’ll see that the runway use is virtually equal to the Environmental Impact Statement projection,” Cooper said, adding that the traffic on the third runway is up during the winter months when more separation between active runways is required.
“In the summer, those days drop off dramatically and would expect to lower the yearly average as compared to the winter numbers.” Cooper said.
When asked by nearby residents on Sunday if the suit should be against the FAA instead of the Port, lawyer Cochran said the Federal Aviation Administration “has immunity” because the decision to build the third runway where it is was a decision by the Port and not the government agency.
The Federal Aviation Administration controls the runways planes use for landing and takeoffs.
“The Port does not operate the runways,” Cooper said. “We built it and maintain it, but the actual operation of the runway, takeoffs and landings, etc. is controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration.”
He says the Port “has been a proponent of the area community as soon as complaints were made and we went to the FAA and worked with them to make sure the operation of the runway has been consistent with the projections from the Environmental Impact Statement. That step also brought us to create the website with the usage statistics.
Members of the Federal Aviation Administration came to a recent Highline meeting to hear the community’s concerns, Cooper said.
The lawsuit lawyer, Cochran, said Sunday that people who felt they had personal injury cases against the Port should be gathering evidence to support their claim. For example, Cochran said people should take photos of soot on cars and surfaces from planes taking off or landing on the runway. They should document evidence of increase illnesses or other negative effects.
People should do this even if they have not yet decided on making a claim or filing a suit.
So, what do YOU think of this class action lawsuit against the Port of Seattle? Please answer our poll:
Loading ...PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Third Runway Litigation Meeting Is This Sunday
- Port Of Seattle Hears From Angry Residents
- Angry Residents Accuse Port of Seattle Of Lying
- Highline Forum 3rd Runway Meeting Is Jan. 8th
- Upset About 3rd Runway Noise? Meet Jan. 10th
- Third Runway Noise Discussion Is Dec. 19th
- Third Runway Noise Problem Not Fading Away
- Has 3rd Runway Increased Noise In White Center?
Jack Mayne is a freelance writer and editor and may be reached at jgmayne@gmail.com
| Apr ’09 |
| 19 |
| 2:30 pm |
Residents in the path of Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway, negatively affected by increased noise and toxic fumes, are meeting with attorneys on Sunday, April 19th to prepare a lawsuit against the Port of Seattle.
The meeting will be held at 2:30pm, Sunday at the SeaTac Community Center, located at 13735 24th Ave. South in SeaTac. Area homeowners are invited. Trial attorneys Michael Pfau and Darrell Cochran, known for a string of successful, high-profile verdicts and settlements, are partnering with Seattle personal-injury attorney Will Dixon.
Sunday’s meeting is a discussion of homeowners’ rights, and potential remedies available under the law. Concerned residents living near the third runway’s flight path first contacted and met with attorneys on Jan. 10th.
Sea-Tac Airport’s third runway went into use Nov. 20th, 2008. Originally, Port of Seattle officials stated in planning documents, such as the environmental impact statement, that the new $1 billion runway was needed to reduce delays during poor weather. But in recent public statements, port officials have said the third runway was always intended to be used at high-traffic times and 365 days a year.
Local homeowners believe the situation will only worsen as departing planes – not just incoming flights – use the new runway. Also, the port plans to shift more traffic to the third runway as it rebuilds the eastern runway.
There are at least two potential lawsuits that are likely to be filed by homeowners. The first, a class-action lawsuit, would focus on the legal principle of inverse condemnation. Basically, plaintiffs believe the fair-market value of their property has been diminished by government “takings” or damages – in this case, by the dramatic increase of planes flying the area for third runway take-offs and landings. Plaintiffs would seek to recover just compensation for damages based on measurably diminished property values.
The second case would be a nuisance or damages lawsuit representing individuals seeking compensation for personal injuries. Local homeowners say throughout the day, big commercial jets are flying over their homes, coating their lawns with jet fuel particles and leaving a wake of toxic fumes.
Michael Pfau and Darrell Cochran are partners at the law firm of Pfau, Cochran, Vertetis, Kosnoff. Pfau and Cochran have years experience in personal injury and class-action lawsuits. In February, Pfau and Cochran secured a $14.2 million settlement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and a New York-based Catholic order on behalf of two dozen men, who were sexually abused at a Kent orphanage, the Briscoe Memorial School, during the 1950s and 1960s. In 2007, Cochran secured a $13.5 million settlement on behalf of thousands of Washington state students affected by the abrupt closing of the now-defunct Business Computer Training Institute (BCTI).
Earlier this year, Cochran and Pfau left their longtime law office of Gordon Thomas Honeywell to open their own firm, with offices in Seattle and Tacoma.
Will Dixon is a seasoned lawyer with more than a decade of legal experience representing clients in numerous multi-million dollar cases in Washington state and federal courts. Dixon focuses on personal injury, wrongful death, and commercial litigation. Dixon also worked in Gordon Thomas Honeywell’s trial group with Pfau and Cochran before opening his open firm. (Dixon Law Firm, http://www.dixon-law.com)
The meeting will be held in the Banquet Room of the SeaTac Community Center, which is located at 13735 24th Ave South:
View Larger Map
by Nicholas Wolfe
About 100 Highline residents and local public officials, angry and frustrated with flight operations involving the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport, voiced their complaints to Port of Seattle representatives at a special meeting of the Highline Forum on Thursday.
While noise and pollution from low-flying commercial jets using the new runway – and the negative impact these have on property values – are significant concerns, their primary grievance is that the port either reneged on assurances to the community that it would have limited use as a backup landing strip in inclement weather or misrepresented the actual intent for its operation.
The disagreement between the airport’s residential neighbors and the port over use of the third runway was highlighted in an exchange between State Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and Sea-Tac Managing Director Mark Reis.
A pre-construction supplemental Environmental Impact Statement said the third runway would be operated “in bad and good weather conditions” along with the other two runways to maintain air traffic flow, Reis noted.
“During poor and good weather, this is increasing the efficient operating capability of the airport during peak hours,” he added. “We never said it would be used in bad weather only.
But, countered Keiser, “The community was led (by the port) to believe that the third runway would be used in cases of bad weather when safe landings created a need (for its operation). That was the premise that the Environmental Impact Statement. Now here we are with the third runway in operation.
“The premise seems to have changed from being used as a foul-weather type of facility. It’s been shifted, and I am very concerned about what that does to the process on the EIS,” she said.”
Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler, co-chairman of the Highline Forum, told Reis, “The senator and I are on the same page here.” During the decade-long debate over the third runway, he recalled, port representatives “brought to the ACC (Airport Communities Coalition) over and over that it would be used for arrivals only in bad weather…. That’s what the port has been saying.”
The Highline Forum, comprised of the cities of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Federal Way, the Highline School District, and the port, was organized after construction of the third runway got underway to promote cooperative relationships between Sea-Tac and neighboring cities. It replaced the Airport Communities Coalition that for a decade tried to block the third runway and secured environmental regulations for airport operations.
Earlier, Sheckler asked Reis, “Is it fair to say that the third runway is going to be used as a fully functioning runway?” “Yes,” Reis replied. Since it became operational on Nov. 20, Sea-Tac has used two runways in bad conditions and all three in good weather.
But Federal Aviation Administration, not the airport, directs air traffic – including the use of runways, Reis and Stan Shepherd, manager of airport noise programs, both said. The port manages general operations at Sea-Tac, including noise control and mitigation in impacted neighborhoods.
Three FAA representatives were in attendance as observers.
Sheckler also quizzed Reis about how long it will take for the impacts of third runway operations to be fully mitigated by the port. Although it could take between three and five years, Reis said, “The public process does not need to be drawn out too long.”
The supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which was prepared in 1997, estimated that by 2010 almost 28 percent of all flights arriving at Sea-Tac would use the third runway. But according to data from the port, 44 percent of inbound planes landed on it through Dec. 17. This, port officials said, reflects the low visibility that generally occurs in November and December, and that this figure is expected to go down in the spring and summer months.
Reis said the port “did the best we could to project what was going to be the noise associated with operation of the runway,” and that the FAA now is looking for ways to reduce its impact, including not using the runway between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and not landing older, noisier jets on it.
Dr. Dagmar Cronn, president of the South Park Neighborhood Association, said residents in her community “are unhappy or shocked about the increase in noise. Suddenly they noticed more planes and more noise overhead.” She asked that mitigation be provided by the port to offset the decline in home values and the disruption of sleep patterns and the quality of life.
“The noise is unacceptable,” said Benjamin Stark of Des Moines. Asking where the money for mitigation will come from with mounting deficits in both the federal and state governments, he suggested, “It seems to me that the thing to do is just shut it down.”
Several residents described how third runway flight operations have destroyed their ability to live normal lives in their homes and deflated the value of their property.
Reis said the port will continue to study its impacts on the surrounding area. In the meantime, he cautioned residents, the third runway will be in full operation from April through late October while Sea-Tac’s first runway is completely rebuilt.
by Nicholas Wolfe
The Port of Seattle committed “fraud” by misrepresenting its actual plan for use of the third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport until after the controversial addition went into operation on Nov. 20, CASE (Citizens Against Sea-Tac Expansion) president Brett Fish of Burien charged at a meeting of the watchdog group Wednesday evening.
“I know that’s a strong term, but I don’t know what else to say….”
“A lot of heads should roll down the third runway,” Fish declared as he criticized port officials for using it 24/7 as a primary runway, even in good weather conditions, despite repeated pre-construction assurances that it would be used only in bad weather – and then primarily for landings to prevent flight delays. “They lied about not using it as a main runway…. Do we want to become a jet ghetto? I don’t think so. It’s our job to turn this thing around.”
And the first step in turning things around, both Des Moines Mayor Bob Sheckler and Fish emphasized, is for Highline residents who are experiencing negative impacts from third runway flight operations to speak out at a public meeting of the Highline Forum with port officials at 2 p.m. Thursday, January 8, at the port office on the mezzanine level of the main terminal at Sea-Tac. Parking will be validated upon request.
Sheckler also is co-chairman of the Highline Forum, which is comprised of the cities of Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Federal Way, the Highline School District, and the port. The forum – which replaced the Airport Communities Coalition that for a decade tried to block the third runway – was organized after construction got underway to promote cooperative relationships between the Sea-Tac and neighboring cities.
“I never expected to be before you again on third runway issues. At least I hoped I wouldn’t be,” Sheckler told CASE members. But now it’s “very, very clear how it’s operating,” he observed. “It’s like a main runway … it’s obvious to me that the third runway will continue to be used as a main runway. So the focus needs to be on mitigation.”
In the past, Sheckler continued, “the port has been fairly good on addressing issues of mitigation. But this is really a big one…. When the third runway was built, they never looked at it in terms of impact by its use as a main runway…. We need to ask them, ‘What are you going to do about it?’”
Noting that “we were caught off guard” by the immediate use of third runway as a main rather than a backup runway – which Highline communities had been assured it would be – he added, “We weren’t prepared for this. The first thing we have to do now is see what the port’s response is. We hope to find that out” at Thursday’s meeting. “I want everyone to remember to ask, ‘Why did you tell us that?’”
Asked by one community resident about the possibility of suing the Port – and even the Federal Aviation Administration – for damages, Sheckler replied, “That’s what I’m hoping to avoid. I hope the port does not have a short-term memory loss…. But if the third runway becomes a major issue … there’s going to be hell to pay for it.”
While CASE membership is comprised of veterans of the anti-third-runway fight, an outspoken newcomer is Miriam Bearse of Burien, who moved to the city late last year. “We weren’t aware of the third runway when we bought our home,” she said. But the impact on their lives has “been astounding…. That roar (of jets flying low overhead). The whistling. It sounds like it’s getting so close…. No matter how hard I try, it strikes fear in me.
“That the port should be able to go back on their word is incredible,” Bearse declared. “I don’t think that we should stand for it.”
She said a meeting for affected homeowners and renters only, at which the possibility of legal action against the port will be discussed, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at the SeaTac Community Center (full details here).
Burien Deputy Mayor Rose Clark, who lives close to the third runway, said noise from flight operations “is an increasing problem” that rattles her windows to the point that she is concerned they will break eventually. “We need to do something soon.”
Beyond the possibility of such damage, Clark is concerned about the negative impact on the value of neighboring homes. Her house “was devalued by $20,000 by King County” due to the second runway at Sea-Tac. “Now I expect its devaluation to be even greater.”
The impact of devaluation doesn’t stop with individual homeowners. “Property devaluation also impacts local cities and the Highline School District,” she noted, “because lower valuation results in less property tax revenue.”
One member of the audience noted that a port representative had told a long-time resident, who complained about the noise, “It’s your fault for living there.”
Another exclaimed, “Since the state is out of money and the feds are out of money, why don’t we just shut the goddamn runway down?”
But, observed a third, there is little community residents can do because the “jet airplane mobsters” operate under laws passed by Congress.
Both the port and the FAA are expected to study the impacts of the third runway – a process that could take months if not years. “In the meantime,” Fish suggested, “have them back off on the use of the third runway and do what they said they would.”
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The White Center Blog would like to welcome its newest Writer, Nicholas Wolfe, to our team. Wolfe is an investigative journalist who will be covering community issues. Look for more of his coverage of the third runway noise issue soon!]
| Jan ’09 |
| 10 |
| 3:30 pm |
Despite the fading away of the recent snowstorm and hectic holiday season, one thing is not fading away from the psyche of thousands of area residents in 2009:
THIRD RUNWAY NOISE
According to neighborhood activist Miriam Bearse, the next “Third Runway Complainers” (our moniker, not hers) meeting will be:
WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 10th, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm
WHERE: SeaTac Community Center Banquet Room, located at 13735 24th Ave. South in SeaTac (see map below)
WHAT: For residents in the area affected by the increased noise caused by the newly-opened third runway. Goals of the meeting include discussing legal options against the Port of Seattle with lawyers, who will be present.
The last residents’ meeting was Friday, Dec. 19th, and here’s what’s went down that night:
- Despite the snow, 35-40 neighbors attended, which was held at a resident’s house just under the flightpath of the new runway.
- Resident activist Miriam Bearse led the meeting, encouraging everyone to introduce themselves and talk about their issues with both the increased noise and dealing with the Port of Seattle.
- Three lawyers were present to discuss the issue. These three have extensive experience in several major class action lawsuits, and all think that residents have a strong legal case. These lawyers will be present at this meeting as well.
- Everyone left knowing that this was only the first meeting and that many more would ensue.
Bearse recently moved into her new home, directly under the third runway flight path, and here’s a quote from a recent email she sent us:
We finally moved all our belongings in on Sunday, and have been enjoying the full experience of living under the third runway flight path, including diminished sleep, increased stress and inability to carry on a conversation of any length in the home.
I’ve been waking up every 45 minutes to an hour during the night…makes everything much more difficult.
You can read our previous coverage here and here, and here’s the scoop on the next meeting directly from Bearse:
If you are receiving this message, you either attended the meeting on the 19th to talk with neighbors about the impact of the third runway on our community, or you emailed me or others on this list to express your concern or interest in this issue.
At the meeting on the 19th, three lawyers attended who discussed possible legal options to address the impact of the flight path. They have scheduled a follow-up meeting on Saturday January 10th at the Seatac community center – located at 13735 24th Ave. S, SeaTac Washington 98168, in the banquet room, from 3:30 to 6:30pm.
This meeting is for all homeowners/renters who live in any community (including but not limited to S. Seattle, Burien, Tukwila, SeaTac and Des Moines), who are concerned about the current and future potential impact of the third runway flight path on their families and communities.
This meeting is not for officials, the press, or other interested parties.
Please RSVP via email to miriambearse@yahoo.com
Also, as an FYI – if you’re affected by noise from the third runway, the best thing you can do is to call the Port of Seattle’s “Noise Hotline” whenever you feel that noise is too high.
The Port monitors the complaints it gets on these hotlines, so it is a vital tool to getting their attention:
Both the White Center Blog and sister site B-Town Blog have been covering area residents’ complaints about the newly-opened third runway (previous coverage here and here), and now we have this potentially juicy little tidbit of info to share:
Several residents who live in the flight path are considering taking legal action, and are holding a “neighbor’s meeting” on Friday, Dec. 19th at 6pm to discuss options.
Here’s copy from a flier we received today from Miriam Bearse, a neighborhood activist:
To all homeowners/renters living under or near the third runway flight path:
If you have concerns about the flight path, come to a neighbor’s meeting in Burien on December 19th at 6pm to share your experiences with others and discuss potential legal avenues to address the impact of the third runway on our homes and families.
For location and more information, contact Miriam at miriambearse@yahoo.com (206.753.8895)
So, if you live in/near the flight path (whether it be in White Center or another area) and are experiencing an unacceptable amount of noise, this is your opportunity to bond and meet with neighbors who feel the same.
We certainly plan on attending, and will provide full coverage as this story develops.
Coming soon on this topic (stay tuned by subscribing to our RSS Feed):
- Video interviews with upset residents
- Video interviews with Port of Seattle officials
- Video tour of a noise monitoring station
The opening of Sea-Tac’s third runway has inspired a lot of discussion, both good and bad, and our sister site The B-Town Blog is commemorating something that happened on the original runway 61 years ago today (Nov. 30, 1947) – a tragic airplane crash that killed nine and injured 17.
