Community Government
Tacoma Narrows losing trees, possibly gaining air show
The delayed tree removal at Tacoma Narrows Airport will soon begin, and air shows could return as early as next summer.
Airport owner Pierce County expected to fell 33 individual trees and clear 12½ acres last fall. The Federal Aviation Administration deemed those trees posed the greatest danger to planes in the flight path.
The county received a $1.28 million FAA grant to cover most of the cost. When the lone bid came in at $1.9 million, the work was postponed.
Airport Manager Rod Propst said during an Oct. 8 airport advisory commission meeting that the county signed a construction contract the previous week. The airport website shows the deal is with Active Construction.
Work on tap for early December
Pierce County expects work to begin the first week of December and run through the end of March, according to the website. It must occur outside of the March 16-Sept. 1 nesting period for migratory birds, including the endangered streaked horned lark. The larks nest in grass near the runway. Active Construction also will install about 6,000 feet of wildlife fencing.
Crews will log selectively when possible to retain surrounding vegetation. They’ll clear where trees grow so densely that it’s not practical to harvest them individually.
“You can grub and clear trees and put a fence up in the rainy weather, so that’s a good project,” Propst said at the meeting.
Where trees will be cleared around Tacoma Narrows Airport. Courtesy of Pierce County
The work will cost about $1.8 million, according to the website. A series of FAA grants covers 90% of the total airport master plan project, of which tree removal is a part. The county and state Department of Transportation will split the remaining 10%.
Future phases undetermined
A 2019 survey of 18,000 trees determined that 51.7 acres of the 568-acre airport need to be cleared and 2,055 trees selectively logged because they’re a hazard to navigation. The early focus will be on removing trees within the most critical areas.
The county doesn’t have plans for future tree removal. The FAA will continue to evaluate flight safety concerns and the county will address needs as they are identified, said Pierce Public Works spokeswoman Anne Radford.
All of the acreage to be cleared falls within the object-free area of the airport. An object-free area, by FAA definition, is “an area on the ground centered on a runway, taxiway or taxilane centerline provided to enhance the safety of aircraft operations by having the area free of objects, except for objects that need to be located in the OFA for air navigation or aircraft ground maneuvering purposes.”
Thirty-three trees will be removed and 12.5 acres cleared to meet safety regulations at Tacoma Narrows Airport. Photo by Ed Friedrich
“The runway safety area says that all of you that are airplane drivers, if you do an unanticipated exit of the runway, and you go to the runway safety area, that it should support your aircraft,” Propst said at the meeting. “Some of that area wouldn’t work very well right now.”
The airport received FAA grants to complete a master plan update in 2016. That update and an airport landside planning study in 2019 identified the tree cutting and other projects to improve safety and comply with Federal Aviation Administration standards. Failure to remove the trees would violate FAA safety requirements and result in noncompliance with agreements for funding that has already been received.
Assessment found no significant impact
The FAA conducted an environmental assessment that included a public comment period from Feb. 16, 2022, through March 17, 2022.
Many of the 26 people who remarked on a draft environmental assessment worried that removing the trees would kill wildlife, destroy habitat, harm air quality, and result in the loss of rural character, shade and beauty. Increased noise was another major concern.
After reviewing and responding to the public comments, the FAA issued a finding of no significant impact in April 2022.
The study showed no significant change in noise from airport operations after the tree removal.
During the work, neighbors might hear chainsaws, wood chippers, trucks and other equipment. Work hours will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The project will not affect access to the runway or taxiway for pilots, with the exception of a five-day nighttime closure of the runway. Dates and times for the closure will be announced when they are set. Updates will be posted at the project website.
Airport exploring new air show
Two years after Tacoma Narrows Airport relinquished its long-running air show, it’s preparing for possibly another next summer.
Pierce County issued a request for proposal for an air show coordinator on Aug. 9. It received one response by the Sept. 13 deadline, from ENTCO International, Inc., which it rejected for not meeting standards. A second RFP was posted on Oct. 25. The deadline is Dec. 20, said Radford.
The solicitation states the county is looking for a partner to plan and host an event that would feature aerial demonstrations and static displays such as military, antique and general-aviation aircraft, and jet cars.
It might also include food and merchandise vendors, and live entertainment. The original request said the air show would be held two days in August. There is no date on the second one.
Wings & Wheels ran several years
Tacoma Narrows Airport hosted the Gig Harbor Wings & Wheels airplane and car show every Fourth of July weekend from 2010 through 2019, attracting up to 7,000 spectators. COVID-19 forced its cancelation in 2020, butit returned as a drive-in event in 2021.
Wings & Wheels ended two years ago after Pierce County denied a permit to event organizer Tacoma Events Commission (TEC). The group had leased ramp space from the airport’s fixed base operators in previous years, but they chose not to support the show in 2022.
Besides the airshow, Wings & Wheels featured static plan displays, a car show, food vendors and a beer garden.
TEC President and CEO Tony La Stella believed he and the county had devised a workaround by staging the event in airport public space and fueling participating planes at Bremerton International Airport. The changes couldn’t be implemented in time to keep the traditional July 4 date so the event was bumped to Aug. 27-28.
On June 3, the TEC received a letter from the county canceling the event. It stated that, “after a thorough review of the 2022 Wings and Wheels Event plan, Pierce County will not be able to accommodate the request to hold the event at the Tacoma Narrows Airport.
County’s reasons for canceling
“The factors that went into making this decision include the lack of available space for the anticipated event size, the lack of support from operating businesses at the airport and the Tacoma Narrows Airport Advisory Commission, the potential impact on the endangered species that reside at the airport, and numerous complaints from surrounding property owners during past Wings and Wheels events.”
La Stella, in a June 14, 2022, news release, said the county caved to its tenants’ demands and would never attract another air show.
“It has become another casualty of big business greed and special interest money,” he wrote. “It is a disservice to the taxpayers who are funding this airport to be denied the use of it based on two large FBOs and a handful of wealthy leaseholders and condo owners.”
FBO stands for fixed base operators, which provide support services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down, parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance and flight instruction to pilots at public airports.
The event moved to Bremerton National Airport the past two summers and was re-billed as Wings Over Washington.
Tacoma Narrows Airport runway and tower. Courtesy of Pierce County Photo courtesy of Tacoma Narrows Airport
Funding for a new Tacoma Narrows air show would come from event ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and the airport operating budget. The Port of Tacoma awarded a $10,000 tourism grant and application has been made for city of Gig Harbor lodging tax dollars.
County Councilwoman Robyn Denson said she’s listening to the desires of the Tacoma Narrows Airport Advisory Commission regarding an air show and encouraged residents who have opinions or ideas about one to attend a commission meeting. They are held once per quarter, the next one on Jan. 9 at Rainier Flight Service.
Airport Day filled in
Tacoma Narrows hosted a free Airport Day as a substitute for the air show the past two summers with the hope of returning to a full air show in 2025, according to commission chairwoman Natalie Wimberley. The Airport Days did not require airport tenants to shut down regular operations.
“While I understand there was only one response to the RFP for an event coordinator, which was not selected, this does not preclude the county from continuing efforts toward an air show next year,” Wimberly said. “I believe they are still considering both options. TNAAC has enjoyed the success of the past two Airport Days and remains supportive of either event.
“I am certain that if an air show does not happen, we will work toward building upon the successful model of the free Airport Day to provide a meaningful experience for our community.”