The Port of Olympia Commission has been stalling the Housing Authority of Thurston County’s effort to buy a hotel that’s on Port property and turn it into housing for low-income seniors for nearly a year.

This golden opportunity was first presented to the Port staff last December by Craig Chance, the HATC executive director, and Chami Ro, the owner of the Oyo Hotel.

In April, the Port Commission held a work session on the topic.

On May 28, the Port staff got around to sending a letter to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) asking for its guidance on “how to formally request approval of release from federal obligations for this unique request.”

Oddly, the next paragraph of that letter presents the reasons they expect the FAA to object. It says the request by HATC “may not address the full extent of the Port’s obligations regarding this property.” These include the Port’s obligation to “not permit incompatible land uses (residential) on or adjacent to the Airport” and to ensure that a change would provide a “net benefit to civil aviation.” The hotel is not adjacent to the airport; it’s in the New Market district.

The Port’s pessimism was in spite of an April 23 Olympian story, in which Brandon Block reported that an “FAA spokesperson said issues around residential use come up frequently, and in the past the FAA has approved requests from ‘sponsors’ (like the Port of Olympia) to ‘release and dispose’ the land . . . ‘Requests for property release and disposal are fairly common, and the FAA often approves them when the there is no foreseeable aeronautical need for the property.’”

Port Executive Director Sam Gibboney says that the Port received a letter from the FAA at the end of June saying that the proposed transfer was “non-conforming.” She says that news was conveyed to HATC and Ro sometime in July. But the letter was far from a hard no; it included specific directions on how to apply for permission for the transfer.

Still, progress ground to a halt until more recent reporting in The Olympian caused a public outcry.

Now, according to Gibboney and airport manager Rudy Rudolph, the Port is developing a scope of work for a contractor to more thoroughly explore the application procedure. Rudolph warns that what lies ahead “will not be a speedy process – longer than a year.” He says the delay is partly because they have not received a purchase and sale agreement signed by Ro and HATC, though they didn’t ask for one until this month.

It’s impossible to recount all this without concluding the Port was far more inclined to take no for an answer from the FAA than to do the work required to get to yes.

Anyone who has tried to provide housing or shelter for low-income people could school them on how to overcome “no.” The first lesson is that you have to really want to get to yes. The second is that you have to have strong leadership. The Port has failed on both lessons.

“I don’t care to pursue it,” said Commissioner Joe Downing at a port meeting on Nov. 8. He wanted to put it off again – this time until two newly elected commissioners take their seats next month. It took an outpouring of public outrage to change his mind.

This is infuriating behavior.

Now the Commission says it will schedule a special meeting to discuss the proposal in early December. A date has not yet been announced. Public comment will be taken; we hope they get plenty of it.

On Jan. 1, Amy Evans and Bob Iyall will replace Port Commissioners E.J. Zita and Bob McGregor. Joe Downing will remain.