FAA Forces Environmental Assessment on ‘Historic’ General Aviation Terminal at Pangborn

Apr. 26—EAST WENATCHEE — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) added another hoop, an environmental assessment, for the Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority to jump through before the General Aviation terminal remodel can land.

The now port must fork over almost $160,000, which could be covered with FAA grant funds, to meet the environmental assessment (EA) requirement for the terminal at Pangborn Memorial Airport.

The EA requirement came after the port heard earlier this year it didn't make the cut for FAA for a $3 million grant because the terminal project was not underway, according to The Wenatchee World archives.

"The FAA has determined in their infinite wisdom, even though we're saving the building, that we have to do an EA, which is really frustrating," said Jim Kuntz, port CEO, at Tuesday's board meeting. "They make the rules."

The need for an environmental assessment came up during the port's pitch earlier this year for FAA federal grant funding to cushion the $5.5 million project, according to Stacie de Mestre, capital projects and public works manager. During the application process, the initial environmental assessment for the project identified the GA terminal as a potential historic site — which prompted the FAA to claim jurisdiction on the terminal building, and tie in new regulations.

The FAA defines a historic property as any structure that is included in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, like the GA terminal, de Mestre said.

"We really don't have an option here," said Trent Moyers, port director of airports, at the meeting. "It's specific in FAA orders that whether it is or isn't (a historic site), is that if it's eligible to be listed it means you have to go through this more... in-depth historical, cultural investigation."

The facelift for the "outdated" terminal likely will have a lull for six to nine months, partially thanks to the environmental assessment. The FAA's decision on the environmental assessment, anticipated to be completed by October, will be announced in November, according to port documents.

The design for the revamped terminal is almost "fully done," and ready to hand off to the bidding process, Kuntz said. A building permit application is in the works and under review, according to de Mestre. The building permit binds the port to a specific timeline.

"Once it's (the building permit) issued, we have one year to start construction," de Mestre said. "We wanted to submit, because there are code changes coming this summer and we didn't want to have to go back and re-design. I don't know when it will be issued... that will be the one deadline we're working against."

Meanwhile, the port is trying its hand for the second time at dipping into federal funds for the GA terminal remodel. The FAA grant rejection earlier this year caused the port to have to send in another application and as a result, delayed the terminal remodel.

The port is also looking to Congress for $3 million and, according to Kuntz, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier (District 8) and U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (District 4) have submitted congressionally directed spending requests for the project. The potential federal funding allocation is expected to be announced in the fall and won't be available until 2024.

"If we are to get any type of grant from the FAA... we can fold 90% of those costs, $159,000, into it (the EA)," Moyers said.

The port on Tuesday selected a multidisciplinary services firm, Ardurra, which has locations staked out across the nation, to conduct the assessment.

The "truncated and abbreviated" EA will establish a memorandum of understanding between the FAA and state historic preservation office of the building as a historic site or not, Moyers said.

Moyers added during the environmental assessment, hazardous waste and pollution issues, like asbestos and lead paint, will be surveyed for any necessary clean-up or mitigation. Public outreach on the EA and site is booked out for late summer, according to port documents.

"We did have a pre-meeting with the FAA environmental group and the state Historic Preservation Office and we reviewed our current design; we pulled out why this structure is being listed as an eligible structure," de Mestre said. "We pointed out what we're actually doing is opening up and honoring that (the root structure) so people can actually view it. Most likely we'll probably have to tell some stories, maybe do a plaque. There is going to be public engagement as far in how we're honoring this historic structure. And that's covered in the EA."

___

(c)2023 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.)

Visit The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.) at www.wenatcheeworld.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.