Portland council postpones $9.3 million Jetport surface‑parking plan after hours of public opposition

The Portland City Council on a split vote postponed indefinitely a $9.3 million plan to expand surface parking at the Portland International Jetport after extensive public testimony and sustained questioning from council members about environmental and planning impacts.

The measure, presented by Jetport staff and read into the record by the clerk, sought appropriation of $9,300,000 from Jetport unrestricted funds to pave and expand surface parking to meet rising demand. Councilor Regina Phillips, chair of the Sustainability and Transportation Committee, defended the plan as necessary to serve regional travel demand and to bridge to a longer‑term parking garage solution. “We’ve looked at shuttle service and other options, but this is what we have in front of us now,” Phillips said during debate.

Neighbors, preservation groups and climate advocates urged the council to reject the surface‑lot approach and to pursue alternatives. Joey Burnell, speaking for a coalition including the Portland Climate Action Team and Sierra Club of Maine, said the plan ‘‘would pave over acres of wetland and forest’’ and urged investment in shuttles, better transit or a parking structure. Carter Waldron and other speakers raised specific claims about mapping, prior permit work and threatened wildlife habitat; they characterized the proposal as inconsistent with the Jetport master plan and city sustainability tools.

Several councilors sided with neighborhood and climate concerns. Councilor McNevesch and Councilor Grant said they found the justification for a surface lot unclear and asked for cost‑benefit comparisons against a garage, off‑site shuttles and other alternatives. Councilor Pelletier noted the city’s near‑term climate goals and expressed unease about expanding impervious surface. Councilor Phillips and the mayor argued the plan provided near‑term capacity while preserving the goal of a future garage.

A roll call on the main proposal produced a majority of ‘No’ votes; the council then approved a motion to postpone the item indefinitely. The postponement means the specific surface‑parking appropriation will not proceed in its current form and that Jetport managers and staff will return with alternatives or additional analysis if the project is revived.

Next steps: the council did not adopt the appropriation tonight. The matter was postponed indefinitely; proponents and opponents said they expect continued discussion about Jetport parking strategies, environmental mitigation and whether a future garage or transit solutions will replace the currently proposed surface‑lot approach.