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Recent news publicity has announced that a state-legislature appointed ad hoc committee, the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission that was tasked with identifying potential regional airport sites to accommodate anticipated future regional growth, recommended two potential sites in Skagit County. The primary impetus for seeking future airport sites for development is that the primary airport, Seattle-Tacoma International, is already at capacity and other, alternative airport sites will be needed.

The Greater Seattle region is currently served by three existing major airports (Sea-Tac, Paine Field and King County/Boeing Field). Both Paine Field and Boeing Field are currently underutilized by commercial airlines. Another possible option needs to be considered: Create shared commercial facilities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma or NAS Whidbey Island as currently exist at several other joint-use civil/military airport sites around the country.

Both sites are well within the service area of interest and both have adequate space for separate commercial expansion and minimal interference with the military and its mission. The superior advantage is these sites exist, with major infrastructure components – e.g., runways/taxiways, control towers, fuel availability, etc. – already in place, thus significant cost savings and much less local objection that an entirely new airport site somewhere else would generate.

The logical commercial terminal site at Lewis-McChord is on the eastern boundary, easily separated from military operations with relatively easy access to existing freeways and future light rail. NAS Whidbey Island has sufficient available land space for a commercial terminal on the west side of the base with separate access possible, but off-island access presents a much larger challenge (new roads, likely a new bridge link to Camano Island, etc.), all at huge cost. And of course that is more reason for the NIMBYs in the area who constantly squawk about jet noise to complain!

The ongoing airport search supports the thesis that in 25-30 years, the Puget Sound region will look like the San Francisco Bay area does today: Wall-to-wall people! To their credit, the CACC is actively planning ahead.

Bruce Elliot

La Conner