The Port of Olympia Commission voted to endorse a letter opposing the proposed airport in rural Thurston County during a meeting held on Monday, October 24.
The letter, penned by the Thurston County Board of Commissioners (BoCC), calls for county legislators to preserve the environment and agricultural areas of the county as the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) moves to recommend an area in Thurston County as one of the three potential sites of a new airport.
“The prospects of an airport expansion will exponentially increase the loss of agricultural lands and put at risk the balance our residents have worked hard to maintain with our natural environment,” stated the letter.
The mayors of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino, and Rainier have already signed the letter.
Port Operations Director Rudy Rudolph explained that the CACC recommended a greenfield site in central Thurston County through a report submitted to the state legislature on October 25. The site is located on the east of Olympia, with the southern portion overlapping the westernmost area of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
The CACC is also considering two potential sites in Pierce County East, located 4.5 miles east of JBLM, and in Pierce County Central, 2.25 miles south of the base.
The Port Commission also agreed to authorize Executive Director Sam Gibboney to update a July 2020 Port Commission letter addressed to the CACC to reflect the current commissioners' views. The 2020 letter informed the CACC that the Port had no interest in sponsoring a greenfield airport in the county.
Impact on groundwater and community
Thurston County residents massed the meeting to oppose the proposed airport. Commissioner Joe Downing noted that not one resident voiced support for the airport.
“Of the literally 200 emails that the commissioners have received, there hasn't been one in favor of it,” Downing said.
Residents were concerned about the impact of the airport on the environment, particularly on groundwater. A Sunwood Lake resident who identified herself as Robbie noted that the proposed airport area sits on top of the McAllister Geologically Sensitive Area, which replenishes the groundwater supply.
“The surrounding area is 100% recharge area. Paving over that recharge area is going to cause the aquifers to dwindle,” Robbie said.
Other concerns include the financial impact of the airport on property owners and the transformation of the community.
“I know what it feels like to live near an airport,” said Michelle, a former Californian resident living along McCorkle Road. “It just changes the whole landscape of everything… There's just always more growth, more traffic, more people, more congestion.”
According to a CACC report submitted to the legislature, a greenfield airport will help to address future aviation demands.
“The Washington Aviation System Plan consultant identified a 2050 unmet passenger need of 27 million annual passengers (MAP),” the report stated. “Of the 27 MAP forecast need, this site may be called upon, over time, to provide capacity to support up to 20 MAP. In addition to air passenger service, air cargo for the region may rely heavily on this new location.”
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FirstOtter
The CACC continues to ignore the will of the people. You and I will pay for this monstrosity, and the fat cats will walk away with millions of dollars. Re read that last paragraph. It's not just 20 million plus passengers-it's air cargo as well. Which means, hundreds of flights ever day, every single day. Never mind that property values will plummet IF you can sell it, the aquifers will dry up so they'll be going for Tumwater's water and the noise, congestion, pollution, traffic, the paving, the gravel mining (they;ll reopen every gravel pit in the county), the asphalt, the never ending beeping of construction vehicles, the garbage, trash, hazardous waste-there's a reason they trying to dump this monster on us. It's because the rich folk want the convenience of an airport but have the legislative connections to keep it out of King County.
Fight this thing.
Sign the petition found on stoptheairport.com
As it is run by Change.org, be prepared to be badgered to sign other petitions that have nothing to do with us in Thurston county, and of course, they want money.
All you need to do after signing the petition is to unsubscribe.
Stand up, Thurston county. If you think, oh, it's nowhere near where I live..oh yes, it is. You on Steamboat Island or in downtown Olympia will be just as affected as the poor suckers whose property will soon be condemned because it's on the final approach.
Thursday, October 27, 2022 Report this
baschemia
As I watch and observe the current heath care crisis it’s hard as a person in this field to sit by and say nothing while they construct anything but another hospital in this town. A new airport will bring more people and put further stress on our already taxed Ers and hospital admissions. Experienced staff is leaving the bed side because they know the safety risk to the patient, the risk to our licenses and they are tired of not being heard. Hospital Er waits are terrible, medics have to wait hours in the hallways awaiting a bed at times. Before anyone mentions the new stand alone Er being built in town that will not decompress St peters at all, they can not take ambulances, they are just a treat em and street em. The medical staff is exhausted and personally I don’t like the term burnt out because that implies we did something wrong. We want to care for patients safely, we need people to listen and hear us. We don’t need an airport, more apartments in this town we need health care facilities so we can do our jobs and so the people of Olympia and in the surrounding communities get the care they deserve.
Sunday, October 30, 2022 Report this