PORT ANGELES — One problem SeaPort Airlines needn’t face is what to do about trees in Lincoln Park that obstruct a flight path to William R. Fairchild International Airport.
“That’s a tangential issue that has no direct impact on our relationship with SeaPort,” Jim Hallett, Port of Port Angeles commission president, said Friday.
Trees at the city-owned park have grown so tall, they have cut the safe approach to the 6,350-foot main runway to 5,000 feet.
The option of cutting the trees has encountered stiff opposition from some city residents.
Hallett said the city, the port — which owns Fairchild — and the Federal Aviation Administration are working together to solve the problem.
The port is waiting for the FAA to tell it how much money it will contribute to removing obstructions and what strings the agency would attach to the project.
Meanwhile, the port is updating its airport master plan to include options for removing flight path hazards.
In July, port commissioners accepted a $596,913 FAA grant to update the five-year airport master plan as part of a $663,237 project.
The overall amount includes the port’s 10 percent match of $66,324, half of which will be covered by state Department of Transportation funds.
Reid Middleton Inc. of Everett will update the plan, which will include aviation demand forecasts and alternatives to address the trees.
Action involving Lincoln Park must be approved by the City Council.
Hallett said he had been working on the trees issue since he was mayor of Port Angeles in the 1980s.
“The right approach is to allow that process to play out,” he said.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb contributed to this report.
