EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the date of the event. An earlier version contained an incorrect date.
Residents of Burien, Des Moines and other communities near Sea-Tac Airport will have an opportunity to speak directly to Port of Seattle commissioners about the proposed Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near Term Projects during a public hearing on Thursday, July 9.
The hearing, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m., will be held in a hybrid format at the SEA Airport Conference Center and online. Verbal comments will be recorded and transcribed as part of the official public record for the State Environmental Policy Act Draft Environmental Impact Statement, according to the Port of Seattle.
Brian Davis of the Burien Airport Committee told South King Media that the hearing was made possible through community response.
“This hearing is the result of action taken by people in the airport communities,” Davis said. “We circulated a petition and easily met the 50 signature requirement contained in state law. In addition, the law requires a hearing if two or more impacted cities requested one. The city managers of Des Moines and Burien did so.”
Davis said the hearing gives residents a chance to address the elected officials who will ultimately decide whether to approve the proposed projects.
“This means people will have the chance to speak directly to the Port commissioners who will ultimately vote on the projects in the airport expansion plan,” Davis said. “None of the commissioners attended the Port’s open houses last week.”
According to the Port of Seattle, the Sustainable Airport Master Plan Near Term Projects include 31 proposed improvements intended to increase the efficiency, safety, access and support facilities at Sea-Tac Airport.
Major elements of the proposal include a second terminal and concourse with 19 additional aircraft gates, an elevated busway connecting the rental car facility with the new and existing terminals, expanded cargo facilities, roadway realignments and other airport infrastructure improvements.
The Port said the purpose of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is to provide an impartial analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the proposed projects before commissioners make a decision. The document also evaluates reasonable alternatives and identifies measures that could avoid, minimize or mitigate environmental impacts.
Residents may attend the hearing in person at the SEA Conference Center, located on the mezzanine level of the airport at 17801 International Blvd. in SeaTac, or participate online through the Port of Seattle Commission Meetings portal.
In addition to providing verbal testimony at the hearing, the Port said comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement may also be submitted by email, U.S. mail or through the project’s online comment portal.
Paper copies of the SAMP are also available for review, at the following locations:
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Airport Office Building
Mezzanine Level above Checkpoint 2
17801 International Boulevard
SeaTac, WA 98158 - Port of Seattle Headquarters, Pier 69
2711 Alaskan Way
Seattle, WA 98121 - Burien Library
400 SW 152nd Street
Burien, WA 98166 - Des Moines Library
21620 11th Avenue S
Des Moines, WA 98198 - SeaTac Valley View Library
17850 Military Road S
SeaTac, WA 98188 - Federal Way 320th Library
848 S 320th Street
Federal Way, WA 98003 - White Center Library
1409 SW 107th Street
Seattle, WA 98146 - Tukwila Library
14380 Tukwila International Boulevard
Tukwila, WA 98168 - Vashon Library
17210 Vashon Highway SW
Vashon, WA 98070
Port Contact:
- Steve Rybolt, Senior Environmental Program Manager
P.O. Box 68727
Seattle, WA 98168
(206) 787-5527
Rybolt.S@portseattle.org
Event Details
- WHEN: July 9, 2026, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- WHERE: Hybrid – In-person at the SEA Conference Center and online (link not yet provided); Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 17801 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98158 (map below).
- INFO/LINKS: Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Near-Term Projects (NTP), State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) No: 2026-01
Read our extensive previous coverage of this issue here.
