Panel will study Paine Field future

After a slow start, it’s full speed ahead for a group of people to decide the one big question about Paine Field:

Should regularly scheduled commercial flights be discouraged at Snohomish County’s airport?

Mukilteo Mayor Don Doran, who opposes airport expansion, and Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson, whose advisers tell him commercial flights are a good idea, will lead the effort to finally decide how much sway a 27-year-old document has over the future of the airport.

That document is the 1978 mediated role determination. Some claim it bans commercial flights at Paine Field. Others say it’s too old to have any influence on today’s decisions.

Following through with a promise made in May, County Executive Aaron Reardon met with Doran and Stephanson earlier this week, setting in motion an aggressive schedule to study the agreement.

Reardon and the two mayors hope to have a committee in place by the end of August. Led by Doran and Stephanson, the committee will attempt to issue a report within a year.

Reardon says he opposes airport expansion. But neither opposition nor confusion over the aging agreement should stop Snohomish County from having a healthy debate on commercial air service, he said.

“We want to have a credible, deliberate and open discussion of the mediated role determination,” Reardon said. “Hopefully, this panel will have some recommendations to make to the county executive.”

Reardon’s office is finishing up a study on what it would take to build a terminal at Paine Field, and last year completed a study on the potential market for commercial air service. He said both studies were done at the request of the County Council and former Executive Bob Drewel.

The market study suggested that the airport could support regional air service, saying Paine Field could capture up to 30 percent of the 7,000 Snohomish County residents who fly out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport every day.

How many of those 7,000 people would fly out of Snohomish County depends on how many departures and destinations Paine Field offers, the report said.

Although the terminal study is not complete, an early look says a bare-bones terminal that could handle two 70-seat jets at the same time would cost $3.2 million.

Reardon said the terminal study would be presented to the County Council this fall. The council is waiting for the study before it takes up the airport expansion issue, County Council President Gary Nelson said.

A computer analysis by The Herald found that about 110,000 people – nearly one-sixth of the county’s population – live within three miles of Paine Field. The area includes all of Mukilteo, much of south Everett, the west side of Silver Lake, unincorporated areas north of Lynnwood and Edmonds, and a portion of Mill Creek.

Prior to this week, Doran was frustrated that the committee on airport expansionwasn’t coming together. Still strongly opposed to expansion of commercial service at Paine Field, Doran is singing a different tune after meeting with Reardon last week.

“I’m encouraged with the comprehensiveness of the goal the county executive has set for this group,” he said. “This will help us understand where we’ve been and where we’re going.”

Reardon first offered the County Council the option to appoint members to the committee. When they didn’t respond, he decided that he, Doran and Stephanson would select the panel.

Stephanson said he has a neutral position on airport expansion, but a public committee that advises him on Everett issues has suggested that bringing commercial air service to the airport could stimulate the city’s economy.

The mediated role, as written in 1978, encouraged air taxi and commuter service, but strongly discouraged expanding supplemental and charter air passenger service.

Under federal law, the county can’t ban commercial service at the airport. If it does, it would lose federal funding that helps pay for current operations.

Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.

What’s next

By mid-August, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, Mukilteo Mayor Don Doran and Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson will come up with a list of names of those who will sit on a committee to study whether bringing commercial air service to Paine Field is allowable under a 1978 agreement.

Co-chairmen Doran and Stephanson expect to hold their first meeting by the end of August. The schedule allows for a meeting once every three weeks. The goal is to give Reardon a report within a year.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.