LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Burien residents encouraged to join Airport Committee amid expansion concerns

[EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written and submitted by a verified Burien resident. It represents the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of South King Media or its staff.]

The City of Burien is accepting applications until Feb. 20, 2025 to fill three vacancies on the Burien Airport Committee (BAC), which is playing an increasingly important role in advising the Burien City Council and the city’s executive leadership on matters pertaining to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The BAC authored the city’s response to the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan, which we believe is flawed in many ways that leave Burien open to significant additional harm from the proposed expansion of airport operations. The BAC remains in the thick of efforts to challenge the plan and is exploring ways our city could be compensated for the disproportionate sacrifices its residents make as the airport grows.

Over the past year, the BAC coordinated the city’s endorsement of legislation establishing a program to make long-overdue repairs of Port-installed noise mitigation packages that have failed over the years. The committee also worked with the city council to take a stand against Initiative 2117, which would have repealed the state law designed to provide funding for those repairs.

For as much as we have accomplished, we have much to do. We are building stronger relationships with the other airport-adjacent cities, the Port of Seattle and elected officials at every level. We need to do a better job of connecting with Burien residents and with community organizations that represent people affected by noise and other forms of pollution beneath the Sea-Tac flight paths. 

Beware: This is not check-the-box community service. The issues we tackle can be complex. The work sometimes involves long hours and stressful deadlines. Properly addressing everything on our to-do list will take years. But serving as vice chair of the Burien Airport Committee is some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. Our current group represents a solid cross-section of the city’s population. We challenge, encourage and support each other. All of us are proud to be part of something greater than ourselves.

Our goal is to make Burien a stronger, healthier and more stable community. If that appeals to you, I hope you’ll consider joining us. You may file an application here:

https://www.burienwa.gov/news_events/city_newsroom/news_announcements/city_council_advisory_board_roles_for_2025

– Brian Davis
Burien

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