HomeMy WebLinkAbout02102020 City Council Laydown - Jaffa 2 2ooc,2- " v
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February 6, 2020 V
RE: Seward Airport City Council Resolution 2020-13
Dear Seward Mayor and Council:
Resolution 2020-13 comes to you in the packet in support of ADOT's Alternative 2.2 which
abandons our existing 4500 foot long runway as well as our shorter crosswind runway in favor
of a single 3300 foot runway project, all of which is to be constructed out of the wetlands
which currently exist in between those two existing runways. The resolution as written would
directly conflict with previous Council action in support of State and Federal priorities backing
an airport project which preserves and repairs existing Runway 13-31. PACAB, the Seward
Airport Ad Hoc Committee, and various members of the public have also gone on record in
support of saving our long runway. Ad Hoc Committee members are currently working on
language which amends Resolution 2020-13 to support the repair of our existing long runway
while accurately expressing the reasons why our community has supported this path from the
beginning, as well as the frustration that results following a failed years long public process run
by ADOT. I am personally frustrated by the effort I put into that process, attending every
announced public meeting, submitting written and oral comments, and finding that none of this
made any difference or was given any consideration at all. All comments submitted since
ADOT's selection of Alternative 2.2 over two years ago have simply disappeared. They were
never put up on the project website, published anywhere else or responded to in any fashion.
ADOT's last public meeting this past August produced a large turnout of Sewardites who gave
oral testimony for several hours universally in opposition to Alternative 2.2 with a court reporter
taking it all down. What happened to that record? So much for the local input.
City Council's decision on the approved language of Resolution 2020-13 will have major and
lasting impact on Seward's future air transportation for many decades to come. Should we
accept the ADOT's alternative, our ability to attract commuter air service to Anchorage will be
severely restricted by a runway too short to make such service economically feasible. Disaster
relief will be compromised by a runway too short for C-130's. Crosswind alignment of our
existing Runway 13-31 which can be a life saver when coming in for a landing in a small plane
with a stiff north wind coming out of the Resurrection River will no longer be available. Our
most valuable local wetlands will be destroyed. The Resurrection River will be allowed to find
new alignment thus dumping its vast annual bed load directly adjacent to our port. Near 100%
opposition throughout ADOT's years long public process will have been totally ignored. The
ADOT's claim that Seward can somehow find the means to extend the new short runway into
the ocean flies in the face of reality in any sober analysis of permitting and expenses for such a
project. Please don't allow Seward to go down this road.
The way forward under the circumstances requires the discussion over whether the City of
Seward should take ownership of our airport in order to pursue a repair project for Runway
13-31. This discussion needs to be allowed the time to fully analyze the costs and benefits.
We have to do this now, or never. Should ADOT be allowed to proceed, we will be left with
airport infrastructure that constrains our future economic development and is inadequate to
ever support itself by user fees while at the same time threatening our marine infrastructure
with expensive dredging. It does take some courage to meet a challenge such as this one.
But we have done it before successfully, and I know we can do it again.
Respectfully,
Bob Linville
1205 Vista Avenue
Seward, Alaska