Written by Aviation is the largest sector of Renton’s economy, directly providing over a third of all Renton jobs and indirectly creating many of our other jobs. Along with living-wage paychecks, our aviation businesses pay taxes which keep our city and schools succeeding.
Our 100-year-old downtown and surrounding neighborhoods are equally critical to Renton. Our downtown represents our identity and our history, and our city has to have livable neighborhoods.
In the early 1990s, open conflicts between airport users and nearby neighborhoods were commonplace. In my early years as council member, I witnessed hostilities over engine tests, flight schools, helicopters, seaplane noise, jet centers, and flight patterns. In 2001 a controversial jet center proposal packed our council chambers with frustrated residents, and we took steps to create sustainable peace. We created the Renton Airport Advisory Committee (RAAC), appointed with representatives from the airport and neighborhoods, to serve as a sounding board for the airport. The RAAC members worked hard to build bridges, getting neighborhood reps into airplanes and airport reps into backyards, to understand each other’s perspectives. They also implemented voluntary steps to reduce noise. While there are still occasional neighborhood complaints about the airport (mostly single-engine planes over neighborhoods), the RAAC deserves enormous credit for establishing peace and understanding among residents and airport stakeholders.
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