Council Delays Vote on Burbank Airport Settlement

LOS ANGELES — A group of residents affected by Burbank Airport noise objected Friday to a proposed settlement of an environmental lawsuit by the city of Los Angeles, calling the deal a sellout of concerned communities.

After hearing the opposition, the Los Angeles City Council decided Friday to delay a vote on the settlement for three weeks to give the public more time to examine the proposal.

The agreement, announced Thursday, would have Los Angeles drop its 7-year-old lawsuit challenging the environmental studies of the expansion of the Burbank Airport terminal.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority wants to build a new 14-gate, $300-million terminal to handle the growing demand at the airfield.

In return for Los Angeles dropping its legal challenge, the airport authority would agree to study how alternative runway use, including easterly takeoffs over Burbank, can reduce noise and whether current noise-measuring methods are accurate.

Councilmen Joel Wachs and Mike Feuer said they have questions about who would be responsible for making sure the conditions are met.

Opponents said the agreement gives the airport authority too much control over noise and traffic studies and fails to include a cap on flights from the airport.