Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Port of Olympia is giving community members a month to comment on newly released chapters of its updated master plan for the Olympia Regional Airport.
The comment period started on Monday, Jan. 13, and will end on Feb. 12.
Airport Senior Manager Chris Paolini told the Port Commission on Monday that the public may still message staff for comments about the master plan after the official comment period.
Comments received within that time frame will be included in an appendix to the planning document.
Paolini described the master plan update as the “airport's short-, medium-, and long-term development plans to meet future aviation demand.”
The document, which the Federal Aviation Administration requires every seven to 10 years, looks into possible capital improvement projects and land use compatibility to meet forecasted demand.
It also prepares the airport for emerging aviation technology and takes into account how the airport could be financially self-sufficient.
The Port has been working on the updated master plan since 2021.
What the Port is asking for public comment on this time are new chapters of the plan titled “airport inventory,” “facility requirements,” “development alternatives” and “implementation plan.”
Some members of the public expressed during the public comments portion of the meeting that 30 days was not enough time to comment on the new chapters.
The time frame given to the public is in contrast with the level of public engagement there was from 2021 to 2022, when the port held four open houses and a question-and-answer session.
A Jan. 10 press release from the port stated that no more changes are expected for the master plan before the commission votes for adoption.
Paolini explained that public input was most crucial during the early phases of the master planning when feedback could still be considered for the different development alternatives of the airport.
Paolini added that the master plan update has been “substantially complete” since 2022.
The manager attributed the delay in the completion of the master plan to staffing changes and the Port’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which is still not complete.
He explained that the Port had initially planned to incorporate the completed HCP into the development alternatives for the airport.
After the public comment period, the updated master plan returns to the Port Commission on March 10. The commission will hold a public hearing before voting on it.
The Port initially announced that the commission would vote on adopting the plan on Feb. 24. Port staff decided to extend the time frame to allow for the completion of a planning checklist as part of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
The checklist merely indicates whether a project would need a full SEPA review or not, which some members of the public took issue with as they wanted a full SEPA review of the master plan before the commission votes on it.
Commissioner Jasmine Vasavada requested that Paolini give another presentation about the process before the updated master plan returns to the commission for adoption.
3 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Virge13
Yikes! Is this going to be another round of the port and legislative bodies telling the public what we NEED rather than what we WANT?
Thursday, January 16, 2025 Report this
Larry Dzieza
This article, unfortunately, accurately reflects the terrible communications, lack of transparency and disregard of the public by the Port of Olympia relative to its airport operations.
The Port has the audacity to state their intent to ignore the comments made by the public. "...the port stated that no more changes are expected for the master plan before the commission votes for adoption". This makes a sham of the process that should be the cornerstone of open government.
Not Ready for Prime Time? “The manager attributed the delay in the completion of the master plan to staffing changes and the Port’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which is still not complete.” Get this: There was a delay because of an incomplete Habitat Conservation Plan but the Port decided to proceed to adopt the plan despite it still being incomplete! The Port’s elegant solution is to simply ignore the Habitat issues and adopt the Airport Master Plan without it.
Will the Port Commissioners demand they vote on a complete report? I think they will unless the public, that the Port Commissioners should be answering to, contacts them and demands it.
Thursday, January 16, 2025 Report this
JanWitt
The draft Olympia Airport Master Plan is a continuation of incremental airport expansion that has been occurring to accommodate increased aircraft operations. Aircraft flights over Thurston County have increased significantly in recent years. Plans outlined, proposed and promoted in this Master Plan Update will result in even greater (far greater) numbers of low-flying flights over our community in the future if those plans come to fruition.
Olympia Airport aircraft flight paths are located directly over nearby residential neighborhoods, schools and parks. Aircraft emit pollutants, including noise, that diminish quality of life and pose numerous serious risks to public health - including increased risks for heart and lung diseases.
Accommodation of increased operations at the Olympia Airport are incompatible with local Climate mitigation plans that have been years in the making.
This Airport Master Plan Update should be strongly opposed.
Thursday, January 16, 2025 Report this