The tentative 75-year agreement, which includes an option tolease up to 80 more acres, is the first step in TRF Pacific's planto build a shopping center complete with a 63,000 sf grocery store,a bank, restaurant, coffee shop and gas station. The deal mustfirst receive the go ahead from Snohomish County Council members,however, and local residents have voiced stiff opposition to theproject--preferring to preserve the 80-acre stretch of forest alongthe Mukilteo Speedway rather than see it developed.

In trying to be sensitive to the citizens' concerns, Rick Parks,vice president of leasing for TRF Pacific, says his company, hasoffered to increase the setback for the development from therequired 25 feet to a minimum of 40 feet, with an average closer to60 feet. "It's true that it won't be 80 acres of trees," saysParks, "but there would be 60 feet of trees and native growth, andthat's a heck of a lot more than anything else that has beendeveloped along the speedway."

Snohomish County Council members are expected to announce theirdecision regarding the lease option on Nov. 22. If approved, Parkssays the shopping center development, which would beginconstruction in 2002 and take about a year to complete, would putas much as $275,000 annually into the airport's coffers. Dependingon the demand, Parks says his company would also considerexercising its option to lease more acreage for development.