ARLINGTON – The Arlington City Council is being asked to approve a $27,045 professional services contract with Bothell-based WH Pacific to complete environmental review on the southernmost portion of the Airport Business Park.

Municipal Airport staff have been working with the Federal Aviation Administration for six months to obtain a categorical exclusion for the southern portion of the Airport Business Park in order to build phase III of 173rd Avenue, install utilities and begin marketing the business park.

The business park is vital to the city’s economic development and manufacturing-industrial center plans, officials said.

City Administrator Paul Ellis told council members that airport and public works staff have provided information to the FAA, but the federal agency is now asking for more extensive research; the original information completed some years ago is too old to be of value.

A categorical exclusion expands on information provided by the airport staff and FAA environmental protection specialist comments.