BY PEPPER FISHER
Port Angeles – The planned Amazon distribution center that was to be built on Port of Port Angeles property near Fairchild airport is on hold indefinitely because the FAA is requiring the company to pass a National Environmental Protection Act study, (NEPA).
That’s after they already passed the state version, known as a SEPA, and after the City of Port Angeles granted Amazon a building permit to construct a 35,000 square foot warehouse and distribution facility on Airport Road.
The City of Port Angeles received an email from Amazon’s consultant on the project, Eric Seamands of Ambrose Property Group, saying they were cancelling a November 5 meeting with City staff because of the FAA’s NEPA requirement, which Seamands said can take 9-12 months.
Caleb McMahon from the Port told KONP that since the site of the project sits just within the corner of the airport’s master plan area, the FAA can and is requiring Amazon to go through the NEPA approval process before they will grant approval. Seamands told the City that could affect the facility’s stormwater design.
McMahon told KONP he did not know if Amazon had begun the NEPA process, nor did he have any reason to believe that Amazon was looking elsewhere to build a facility or pulling out of the project altogether.
Our call to the consultant on the project was not immediately answered.