In letters to the editor and other forums, the 1979 Mediated Role Determination for Paine Field is characterized as a “deal,” a pact between residents and/or local governments and Snohomish County that bans passenger air service for all time. Those characterizations are wrong.
The MRD includes no ban on passenger service, was not an agreement between residents or local governments and the county, and was not intended to stand forever. Indeed, the MRD was to be “subject to periodic review.” It was a to-do list of interim steps to address issues related to the county’s operation of the airport and development of the areas around it until long-term plans could be developed.
It is clear the county didn’t declare in the MRD that it would never allow passenger service. Attorney Peter Kirsch, an airport specialist hired for the county’s recent MRD review panel, wrote:
“As a threshold matter, we do not interpret the MRD Document as imposing a mandatory prohibition on scheduled passenger service. … The April 1978 and January 1979 documents do not explicitly impose any mandatory restrictions on aircraft operations and, to the contrary, in the January 1979 document, the county deleted provisions from the April 1978 document that might otherwise have been considered to be mandatory restrictions on aircraft operations. … We are aware of subsequent statements to the effect that the MRD Document constitutes a mandatory prohibition on scheduled passenger service. We do not believe that these statements are accurate … “
In light of what the MRD actually says, the persistent claims vexed me as I reviewed it as part of the panel. For further insight, I researched newspaper reports from 1978-79 to see if there might have been a basis there. What I found was substantial background on the MRD which further refutes claims of a “deal.” In more than 25 years of public policy work, I’ve never encountered a document that is so mischaracterized.
The world and Snohomish County were very different in 1978-79. Sawmills and pulp mills were prevalent. A “micro-mini-chip” was first patented. The Alderwood Mall began construction and a new Boeing plane, the 767, was announced. Much has changed in the meantime.
If the county commissioners considered the MRD documents a promise, they had a strange way of showing it. Debate focused on noise from military helicopters (“Neighbors … complained loudly that the helicopters are among the worst noise problems at Paine Field …” The Herald, March 24, 1978). Nevertheless, in the same month they voted to discourage military uses, the commissioners passed a 20-year extension of the Army’s helicopter lease.
Indeed, the MRD was considered an interim step: “This Paine Field Community Plan shall be subject to periodic review, so that once noise levels and patterns are set at an acceptable level, Paine Field may take advantage of technological and operational improvements” (Board of Commissioners, April 11, 1978, Condition No. 2).
The MRD was not an agreement between the county and residential groups or communities. No city was represented. The 13 MRD participants were four residents and nine aviation and business representatives. The cities of Mukilteo and Everett, the Mukilteo School District and the local citizens group endorsed the “do-nothing” role (an option considered by the county). That position supported the airport’s noisiest activities, including helicopters, nighttime freight shipments, unlimited engine testing, etc. (The Herald, March 30, 1978.)
Opponents of passenger air service at Paine Field continue to argue that the MRD is a social contract to ban those operations. The attorney hired by the county and a majority of the panel who reviewed it have determined that no such contract exists. The MRD is a jumble of jargon that is mostly irrelevant today. It was a short-term to-do list that has been largely accomplished.
Perpetuating the myth that the MRD is a deal or a contract prohibiting passenger service at Paine Field is a disservice to the community. The County Council should resolve this accordingly at its earliest opportunity. The role of Paine Field in our community should be dealt with periodically in the Airport Master Plan and the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Those are the modern planning processes recognized by the state and federal governments as the official expressions of the county’s vision for the airport and other facilities. Both processes provide the public with ample opportunity to shape those visions.
Mark Wolken is an Everett-based permitting and business development consultant with a focus on brownfield, industrial and sensitive sites and solid waste management.
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