PORT OF SEATTLE
MEMORANDUM
COMMISSION AGENDA
Item No.
5a
Date of Meeting
February 8, 2011
DATE: February 1, 2011
TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
FROM: Wayne Grotheer, Director Aviation Project Management Group;
Elizabeth Leavitt, Director Aviation Planning & Environmental Services;
Ralph Wessels, Airfield Program Leader, Project Management Group
SUBJECT: Tyee Valley Gold Course Area Mitigation (CIP # C800420)
Amount of This Request: $ 109,000 Source of Funds: Airport Development Fund
State and Local Taxes
expected to be Paid: $ 52,000 (total project) Jobs Created: N/A
Total Estimated Project Cost: $ 800,000
ACTION REQUESTED:
Request Port Commission to authorize the Chief Executive Officer to proceed with project
management, design, environmental support and preparation of 100% design level construction
documents for the Tyee Valley Golf Course Area Mitigation. The design will be completed
using outside services procured through a Professional Services Indefinite Delivery Indefinite
Quantity (IDIQ) Contract previously authorized by the Commission. The estimate for design
work is $109,000. The total estimated project cost is $800,000.
SYNOPSIS:
This memorandum requests authorization for design of the Tyee Valley Gold Course Area
Mitigation project. This project, along with other ongoing projects, will complete the mitigation
required by Natural Resource Mitigation Plan for Master Plan Update (MPU) Improvement
Projects and as required by the MPU federal 404 and 401 environmental permits. This project
will entail removing golf course paths, removing an abandoned culvert, soil amendments as
needed, planting approximately 7 acres of new wetland, updating approximately 3 acres of
existing wetlands to environmental permit standards, and installing temporary irrigation systems.
Temporary irrigation will be installed and wetland planting will include a 1 year warranty period
requiring 100% survival. In addition to satisfying environmental permit requirements, this
project will convert an open grass field to dense shrub habitat and in doing so significantly
reduce an existing wildlife hazard to Airport Operations.
COMMISSION AGENDA
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
February 1, 2011
Page 2 of 5
BACKGROUND:
The Port was issued two environmental permits which allowed for impacts associated with the
MPU Projects. The MPU Projects included the Third Runway that is in operation, as well as the
South Aviation Support Area which was never constructed. Soil borrow sites that would have
impacted wetlands were also not used by the MPU Projects. In order to compensate for planned
impacts, the permits required the Port to provide mitigation by enhancing existing and creating
new wetlands. This original mitigation package included approximately 15 acres of wetland and
wetland buffer site development on the Tyee Golf Course.
The Tyee Golf Course mitigation site was to be constructed in 2006 as part of the overall MPU
mitigation program under capital improvement project CIP # C100172. However, the Port
requested the Tyee site be eliminated from the MPU mitigation program on account of reduced
impacts. After extensive discussions, US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) concluded that the
original planned MPU mitigation site functions were interdependent and the elimination of the
Tyee site could only be assessed after extensive study. In lieu of initiating a costly study which
contained a high degree of uncertainty in terms of methods and outcome, the Corps, Washington
Department of Ecology (Ecology), and Port Staff agreed that a reduced 10 acre wetland
development at the Tyee Golf Course would satisfy the MPU Projects’ mitigation requirements.
In consideration of this reduced mitigation project, Port staff evaluated the existing wildlife
hazard presented by the proposed mitigation site. This area had formerly been used by the Golf
Course operator. In September 2009, this area was excluded from the tenant’s lease due to
conflicts with the Des Moines Creek Basin Committee Regional Detention Facility Projects. The
unmaintained open grass area lies directly under aircraft flight path and is frequently used by
grazing geese and other water fowl. The conversion of this open grass area to a dense scrub-
shrub habitat was seen as a significant benefit to the Airport Operation’s Wildlife Hazard
Mitigation Program.
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION:
The completion of the Tyee Golf Course Mitigation will fulfill the outstanding Port wetland
mitigation permit obligations associated with the MPU Projects. In addition the project would
mitigate a significant wildlife attractant by converting an open grass area to a dense scrub-shrub
habitat.
PROJECT STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVES:
Project Statement:
The purpose of the project is to design and complete the Tyee Valley Golf Course Area
Mitigation which includes removing golf cart paths, removing abandoned culvert, soil
amendments as needed, new wetland planting over approximately 7 acres, updating
approximately 3 acres of existing wetlands to environmental permit standards, and installing a
temporary irrigation system, all as required by Natural Resource Mitigation Plan for the Master
Plan Update (MPU) and as required by the MPU 404 and 401 environmental permits and in
support of the Airport Operation’s Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program.
COMMISSION AGENDA
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
February 1, 2011
Page 3 of 5
Project Objectives:
In addition to fulfilling the outstanding wetland permit obligations, this project will also serve to
significantly reduce the wildlife hazard which is currently presented by the open grass in the
area. This wildlife mitigation will present a tangible benefit to the Airport Operation’s Wildlife
Hazard Mitigation Program. Scrub-shrub vegetation will be selected to match the site specific
conditions at the golf course ensuring long-term vegetative cover requiring little or no
maintenance once fully established.
PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK AND SCHEDULE:
Scope of Work:
This project will plant approximately 7 acres of new wetlands and update approximately 3 acres
of existing wetland plantings within the Tyee Golf Course to environmental permit standards.
The work will include removal of abandoned golf cart paths and stormwater culverts, soil
amendments, and temporary irrigation systems as needed.
Schedule:
90% Design: March 2011
Commission Authorization to Advertise June 2011
Advertise July 2011
Notice to Proceed August 2011
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Budget/Authorization Summary:
Original Budget
$800,000
Budget Increase
0
Revised Budget
0
Previous Authorization this CIP
0
Current request for authorization
$109,000
Total Authorizations, including this
request
$109,000
Remaining budget to be authorized
$691,000
Project Cost Breakdown:
Design
Site Work
POS Direct Costs
PMG and Soft Costs
WA State Sales Taxes
Total
Budget Status and Source of Funds:
This project is included in the 2011-2015 capital budget and plan of finance as a business plan
prospective project (CIP # C800420). The funding source will be the Airport Development
COMMISSION AGENDA
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
February 1, 2011
Page 4 of 5
Fund. Due to the extended period of time since construction of the Third Runway and other
MPU projects, as well as the benefits to Airfield Operations Safety, this project is budgeted
through a new Aviation Division CIP.
Financial Analysis and Summary:
CIP Category
Compliance
Project Type
Health, Safety and Security; Regulatory
Risk adjusted Discount rate
N/A
Key risk factors
N/A
Project cost for analysis
$800,000
Business Unit (BU)
Airfield
Effect on business performance
NOI after debt service will increase as capital and
operating costs will be fully recovered in landing
fees.
IRR/NPV
N/A
CPE Impact
CPE impact is less than $0.01in 2013, but no change
to business plan forecast since this project was
included.
Lifecycle Cost and Savings:
The MPU mitigation sites are subject to 15 years of maintenance and monitoring. Invasive weed
control is currently performed by the Maintenance department. Associated Maintenance costs
are conservatively estimated to increase by $5,000 per year for 15 years. Monitoring and plant
replacement is performed by Aviation Environmental. Associated AV/ENV costs would
increase by $5,000 per year for 15 years.
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY:
This wildlife mitigation will augment wetland and wetland buffer enhancements provided by
earlier projects. In doing so, the wetland will provide improved water quality and aquatic habitat
functions to Des Moines Creek. At the same time the project will reduce waterfowl use of the
former golf course area, providing a tangible benefit to the Airport Operation’s Wildlife Hazard
Mitigation Program. Scrub-shrub vegetation will be selected to match the site specific
conditions at the site ensuring long-term vegetative cover requiring little or no maintenance once
fully established.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:
This project supports and maintains positive relationships with the environmental agencies,
Washington Department of Ecology and US Army Corps of Engineers and reduces wildlife
hazard to airport operations.
COMMISSION AGENDA
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer
February 1, 2011
Page 5 of 5
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE SUMMARY:
The local economy and community will benefit by this project because it helps to ensure the
continued safe operation of the Airport, while meeting permit obligations. Completion of the
Tyee Valley Golf Course Mitigation will fulfill all outstanding Port wetland permit obligations
associated with the MPU projects. The Airport Operations wildlife hazard will be reduced.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS:
1) Do Nothing – This alternative would entail notifying the agencies that the Port will not
complete any additional MPU wetland mitigation and refuse to complete other studies.
This alternative would significantly damage ongoing relationships with the Corps and
Ecology. It is likely that the Corps and Ecology would maintain their positions and issue
an enforcement action under the Clean Water Act. The enforcement action would likely
require full mitigation plus penalty. The Port would be required to either comply or
appeal the action in courts. Legal fees alone would be substantial relative to the costs
associated with Alternative 3. Some degree of mitigation would likely be required. This
is not the recommended alternative.
2) Complete a Functional Assessment Study and Develop Required Mitigation Bases on the
Results. – It is assumed that the Study would cost approximately $100,000 to complete.
Once submitted the report would again be open to Agency review, and interpretation. It
is expected that such a study would take up to a year to complete, negotiate and be
approved. Given the subjective nature of the study, it is assumed that the Corps would at
most accept some reduced mitigation at Tyee. It is also possible that the Corps would
add a penalty due to time delays and in the end the Port may end up planning the entire
Tyee mitigation. This is not the recommended alternative.
3) Construct 7 Acres of New Wetland and Update 3 Acres of Existing Wetland. – The new
and updated wetland mitigation would fulfill the Port’s MPU wetland mitigation
obligations. Relationships with the Agencies would remain positive, which will benefit
the Airport as it completes the 15 year wetland monitoring tasks and in future permitting
efforts. In addition the project would reduce a wildlife hazard presented by the existing
grass field. This is the recommended alternative.
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REQUEST:
Map of Tyee Mitigation Site and Vegetation Changes
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTION:
The initial work on this project was authorized under CIP #C100172 and performed under the
Third Runway Project.