COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          9B 
BRIEFING ITEM                            Date of Meeting      February 13, 2018 
DATE:     February 4, 2018 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Jeffrey Brown, Director of Aviation Facilities and Capital Programs 
Thomas Hooper, Manager Aviation Planning Program 
SUBJECT:  Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning Update 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
This briefing provides an update on the status of SAMP planning.  The Port initiated the
Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) in 2013 and the planning work is nearing completion,
with public scoping for environmental review anticipated to begin in Q2 or Q3 of 2018. 
The primary purpose of the SAMP is to identify facility improvements required to satisfy
demand over the 20-year planning horizon and to balance capacity in all key functional areas to
the fixed capacity of the airfield. To that end, the SAMP started with an unconstrained, 20-year
forecast of cargo and passenger activity which was used to determine peak hour facility
requirements based on demand derived from the movement of aircraft, passengers, bags,
vehicles and freight.  Alternatives for facilities development to satisfy demand were then
developed and assessed, resulting in a phased capital program to deliver needed capacity
through the 20-year planning horizon. 
For planning purposes, the SAMP assumes the airport's current three-runway system and closein
airspace configuration will remain in place. With the airport's small footprint and significant
physical constraints, redevelopment at Sea-Tac requires expensive relocation of existing
facilities and limited options for expansion. 
Work to evaluate alternatives for project phasing and to assess airside capacity has included
extensive airside modeling in consultation with FAA specialists and has determined that existing
constraints require a two-step approach to advance the SAMP.
The first step is to identify  a package of near-term projects to be assessed  through 
environmental review.  Included in this briefing is an overview of the major improvements
anticipated to be included in the package of Near-term projects.
Staff has conducted airside modeling of these near-term projects (including 19 gates connected
to a second terminal, north of the existing terminal complex) and has concluded that they will
deliver needed capacity through 2027. Staff is currently working with the FAA, airlines, and

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 9B                                Page 2 of 3 
Meeting Date: February 13, 2018 
internal stakeholders to finalize the package of near-term projects to be proposed for
environmental review and anticipates briefing Commission in April.
The second step is to better understand the constraints for airside facilities, which includes
runway and taxiway utilization, gate availability, and airspace management as conducted by
FAA.  The Port will work with the FAA to conduct an airfield/airspace study  which will
determine the long-term capacity of the airfield and inform or reaffirm the SAMP long-term 
vision.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND 
Staff is scheduled to request additional Commission authorization for funds to complete the
SAMP documentation and provide planning support to environmental review of the near-term
projects for the duration of that process.  Staff will provide additional information with the 
scheduled authorization request, including justification and alternatives to providing additional
funding. There are two primary factors which have contributed to an increased cost of analysis,
documentation, project management, and contract administration of the SAMP. One factor is 
extensive airside modeling and coordination with the FAA required to analyze the ability of the
SAMP long-term vision to accommodate unconstrained demand and the ability of the nearterm
projects to accommodate near-term demand.  The other primary factor is additional
analysis and documentation required due to the identification of alternatives involving one vs
two terminals.
The environmental review will be led by Landrum & Brown, a consultancy firm specializing in
environmental review and currently under contract with the Port. Continued planning support
services are needed to finalize SAMP documentation, conduct additional public outreach,
transition  the  SAMP  to  environmental  review  and  provide  planning  support  during
environmental review process. SAMP documentation is required to gain concurrence from the
FAA regarding the near-term projects and approach to environmental review, and to serve as
the public facing document explaining the planning process and findings.
Planning  analysis  and  supporting  documentation  required  to  transition  the  SAMP  to
environmental review includes: 1) an analysis of a "no action alternative" which will be used to
compare the relative impacts of taking no action to the impacts of implementing the SAMP
near-term projects and 2) the drafting of detailed project descriptions which will include
information regarding construction quantities and activities which are required to assess
construction impacts of near-tem projects implementation. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1)   Presentation slides 


Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Briefing Item No. 9B                                Page 3 of 3 
Meeting Date: February 13, 2018 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
August 23, 2016 -  Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
July 12, 2016 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning
Update" 
April 12, 2016 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning
Update" 
January 26, 2016 -  Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
September 8, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
April 28, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Planning
Update" 
March 24, 2015 - Commission Briefing: "Briefing on Sea-Tac Cargo as part of the
Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)" 
January 27, 2015 -  Commission Briefing: "Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP)
Planning Update" 
October  7,  2014 -  Commission  Briefing:  "Sustainable  Airport  Master  Plan  (SAMP)
Forecast and Facilities Challenges" 
March 11, 2014 - Commission authorization to amend the existing Sustainable Airport
Master Plan (SAMP) service agreement with Leigh Fisher Associates for IAF-related
planning tasks for an increase of $3,650,000 and a new total contract amount of
$9,650,000 
September 5, 2012 - Commission authorization for SAMP development and to advertise
and execute a contract for consulting services for the SAMP, with a total estimated
value of $6 million 
August 14, 2012 - Commission deferred consideration of a request to approve funding
for the Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) 
June 27, 2012 - Commission Briefing: "Terminal Development Challenges" 






Template revised September 22, 2016.