BURIEN, Wash. — The Port of Seattle is getting pushback after announcing plans to cut down 200 trees in Seattle–Tacoma International Airport’s approach path.
Most of the trees are on airport property, but a few dozen are in the cities of SeaTac and Burien.
In Burien, city leaders are coming to the defense of the trees.
Six of the trees are in Mathison Park, just on the edge of the approach path.
“We need these trees because it filters out the noise. We can’t imagine that we live without the trees,” Ria Remila, who lives next door to the park, said. “They are very valuable. Also for the wildlife: birds, squirrels, raccoons, everybody.”
Burien’s city council sent a letter to the Port asking its commissioners to hold a special meeting about the trees. It also requested an environmental impact study on the removal of the trees.
The letter also made mention of a previous issue between the city and the airport: Port-installed sound insulation on houses they city claims is failing.
“When they take off, that vibration, that noise,” Marty Stiles of Burien said. “It wakes you up. It’s really annoying.”
The noise might be annoying, but the Port posted a video explaining that the beloved trees are a safety hazard.
“The most common obstructions around SEA airport are trees that are too tall,” the Port said. “These trees pose a safety risk to aircrafts during takeoff and landings.”
Neighbors don’t buy it.
“That’s absurd,” Remila said. “If the plane is going that low, it might as well be crash landing.”
According to the Port, cutting off the tops of the trees is not an option because it would make them unstable. Putting lights on the tree is also not an option because they would still be in the way.
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