Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Port of Olympia’s updated Olympia Regional Airport master plan is going to have to clear another obstacle in its path.
In deciding on an appeal against the port’s determination the plan would have no adverse impacts on the environment, Hearing Examiner Robert Mack wrote that he wants the port to submit another plan taking into account various considerations, including a phased environmental review of the updated master plan.
An airport master plan is a long-range planning document required by the Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate the current conditions of an airport and prepare it for projected demands.
The port’s updated master plan also outlines facilities, which may be required to meet future demands, and also proposes an airport layout plan mapping those facilities.
The layout plan includes runways, taxiways, hangars and other airport operations, including areas for possible industrial, commercial, and corporate and general aviation uses.
As part of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act review process, the port issued a mitigated determination of nonsignificance (MDNS) for the updated master plan, meaning it would not have any adverse impacts to the environment because of proposed measures to address the impacts.
The determination was made on Feb. 6, 2025. About five weeks later, Black Hills Audubon Society and a group of residents filed an appeal on March 13.
The appellants include Ronda Larson Kramer, Sharron Coontz, Jim and Margaret Hutchinson, Angela Deardorff-Zeigenfuse, Matthew Zeigenfuse and Jana Wiley.
They argue that the MDNS should be reversed, as it was insufficient in addressing probable environmental impacts of the updated master plan.
In the past, port staff argued projects under the updated master plan would have to undergo their own environmental reviews and that doing an environmental impact statement at this point would be "purely speculative."
In his decision released on Oct. 17, Mack acknowledged “both parties are correct, to an extent,” and believed that possible impacts of the updated master plan “can be identified to varying degrees at this point.”
He refused to reverse the MDNS at this time, but mandated the port to submit a plan that accomplishes the following:
He gave the port 30 days to submit the plan after the issuance of a “final decision,” which he will make after responding to a motion for clarification from either party.
In an update to the Port of Olympia Commission on Monday, Oct. 27, Executive Director Alex Smith said staff are still evaluating their options and will notify the commission if and when they proceed.
12 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
SecondOtter
And in the meantime the Port continues on 'improving' the airport. No matter what they say, watch what they DO. And what they're doing is making the Oly airport into a feeder one for SeaTac. No matter how many times the people..us..who are paying their salaries, and paying for the airport itself, they refuse to listen to us when we say we don't want it to be another Sea Tac. We don't want increased traffic. We don't want them stealing our water, increasing the traffic on 99 to accomodate over 500 vehicles a day, we don't want over 600 landings and departures. We don't want it. THEY want it because why? Welllllll, follow the money. Mandate my foot. Let's disband the port, send the commissioners to Sea Tac to live with and use the money for soemthing that benefits all of us, not just a few.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 Report this
Bobwubbena
Thanks, Bob Mack, for a reasonable response to those that don't like to except growth and change, and the Port attempting to meet the ever-changing government regulations. Thurston County has grown exponentially over the last few years. The airport for the State Capitol of Washington has always been a feeder to Sea Tac and other larger airports---just not with a successful commercial airline. This is not an expansion but rather a program to ensure that it meets the everchanging federal rules an keeps it safe for our normal use.
This is just good community management by the Port on our behalf. This does benefit the entire community, even those that chose to live near the airport.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 Report this
longtimeresident
In response to the comment below, this benefits the ENTIRE community? Not.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 Report this
mhjwilson
Some years ago I read a report that the costs of operating a private plane was partially covered by the taxpayers. It would be nice to know if that is correct and if the well to do are getting another subsidy from the rest of us. Our taxes should be covering other people's toys.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 Report this
mhjwilson
I made a goof an d wrote, "Our taxes should be covering other people's toys", when I should have written "Our taxes should not be covering other people's toys".
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
RondaLarsonKramer
@mhjwilson, your comment is spot on. Expansion of the airport would mainly benefit a few well-to-do people, at the expense of the many. Not many people are aware that one of the key players driving airport expansion is the director of operations for the Port. He flies to work in Olympia on his own plane, coming from the Kitsap Peninsula.
If anyone hasn't voted yet, please vote for Jerry Toompas and Krag Unsoeld for port commissioners. They are against airport expansion. Their opponents are in favor of it.
Thank you, JOLT News, for your important coverage of this issue. Expansion of the airport will negatively impact quality of life in our county permanently. After the Port extended the runway by 500 feet several years ago to attract more types of aircraft, noise from the airport has steadily increased. The current Airport Master Plan Update, if approved, would make that much worse.
To learn more, go to https://linktr.ee/StopOlyAirport. It includes a link to where people can sign a petition. The petition also contains an extensive facts sheet about the Port's expansion plans.
Anyone who believes the Port's claim that it's all just conceptual can talk to the Capitol Little League, whose ball fields are in the beating heart of where the Port wants to expand. The Port told the League that as soon as the Port "fixes the gopher problem," the League will need to move out. The "gopher problem" is a reference to the fact that the airport is a historic prairie and is the last best contiguous habitat for a threatened subspecies of pocket gopher. Thousands of the gophers live on the airport prairie and are protected by the Endangered Species Act. But the Port is trying to get a license to kill them (the license is known by the misleading term "Bush Prairie Habitat Conservation Plan"). Given that the Port intends to evict the League as soon as the Port is able to get the habitat conservation plan approved, it's clear the expansion plans are not merely conceptual.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
greenland
The Olympia Airport is located only about 5 miles south of downtown Olympia. Flight paths of low flying aircraft approaching and departing the airport go directly over densely populated residential areas, schools and parks to the north as well as a nearby State Park, farms and wildlife preserves to the south emitting pollutants associated with adverse environmental effects which pose serious risks to public health, diminish quality of life, reduce residential property values, adversely impact wildlife, threaten water supplies and contribute to Climate Change.
Over the years the Port of Olympia has been expanding the airport in piecemeal manner that has avoided any assessment of cumulative direct and indirect adverse impacts of growth. Past projects have included forced property buyouts to enable a shift and extension of the main runway to accommodate jets, runway and taxiway strengthening to accommodate heavier aircraft, larger aircraft hangars and more. The proposed Airport Master Plan Update is a continuation of incremental airport expansion. It discusses, plans for and promotes a new turf runway, taxiway changes to increase airport capacity, many new aircraft hangars. The Update includes a Commercial Aviation Feasibility Study Addendum which outlines plans for an expanded commercial aviation area with a new, larger passenger terminal of at least 40,000 square feet, 610 new parking stalls (and room for more), a 259,000 square foot area (just shy of 6 acres) for passenger and cargo aircraft parking, loading and unloading, 6 gates, an aircraft deicing area. The plans were designed to position the Olympia Airport to help address the projected future capacity deficiency at Sea Tac.
To say or even suggest that the Port has not been planning expansion of the Olympia Airport is baloney.
The time for broad community-wide discussion and a thorough review pertaining to direct and indirect impacts of Olympia Airport growth on the environment and on those living in Thurston County now and in the future is way past due and should occur now.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
JohnFronono
It’s really a shame they built this airport after everyone here moved to the area.
Oh wait.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
tolerd
Of course this master plan includes expansion of the use of this airport. It will likely have little, if any, benefit for the vast majority of Thurston County residents. The Port Commissioners need to start working for the majority of its constituents- the people who elect them.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
jimlazar
To John Fronono: I moved here when we had a small airport that could handle only small planes. That was acceptable to me. 48 years later, there are three times as many aircraft coming and going every day. There is a huge increase in particularly noisy helicopter operations.
The Port of Olympia should stop making life worse for us using our own taxes to do so. Vote for Jerry Toompas and Krag Unsoeld for Port. They will work to stop this madness.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
KellyOReilly
Having lived next to Santa Ana (aka John Wayne) airport for 13 years, I know about the drawbacks including the toxic jet soot that covers our outdoor living spaces, cars, window sills, furniture, and the fur of our innocent pets. Of course everyone hates the noise of jets flying over. I thank the person who supplied the "Stop Oly Airport" link. I signed the petition.
Friday, October 31, 2025 Report this
Tamioly
Looks like the port is directing the gophers to become city if Tumwaters problem... anyone noticed all the gophers on Isreal and Tumwater roads lately?
Sunday, November 2, 2025 Report this