Burbank Seeks New Airport Pact to Scale Back Terminal Plan

With the new Burbank airport terminal plan stalled, Burbank city officials are trying to renegotiate the compromise deal they agreed to last summer--demanding now that airport officials drastically scale back the project.

The Burbank City Council proposes building a 14-gate, 250,000-square-foot terminal to replace the existing 180,000-square-foot building.

That is significantly smaller than the 330,000-square-foot terminal city and airport negotiators agreed to in August. But city officials say a facility that size is no longer feasible given opposition from Burbank and Los Angeles residents nearby.

“There’s a window of opportunity to resolve this dispute but it won’t remain open for much longer,” Burbank City Councilman Dave Golonski said. “This is a balanced proposal that attempts to deal with the needs of various constituencies and still remain achievable.”

But members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority charged Burbank with going back on its commitment.

“It’s just a clever way of asking for the keys to the airport,” said Commissioner Chris Holden of Pasadena.

The proposal would also bar construction of the new terminal unless a mandatory overnight curfew on flights is in place. But it would allow an additional expansion to 280,000 square feet--to 16 gates--in return for strict noise limits.

Golonski and Burbank City Manager Robert Ovrom said the proposal would allow the airport to handle 6.7 million passengers annually--up from 4.7 million now.

The plan drew immediate fire from an airline industry trade group.

“If they persist with these terms as outlined, it kills the terminal project as far as we are concerned,” said Chris Leathers, director of government affairs for the Air Transport Assn. “This is complete violation of federal law. You can’t limit passenger capacity and implement mandatory curfews without conducting appropriate reviews.”

Under the original proposal, city and airport negotiators tried to impose a de facto curfew without the federally required noise study by simply closing the passenger terminal between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. but not shutting down the runways. Federal Aviation Administration head Jane Garvey said that plan was unacceptable.

FAA spokesman Paul Turk said the agency will examine the new proposal.

Airport Executive Director Dios Marrero said the Airport Authority will meet today to consider the proposal.

Since 1980, the airport has been trying to replace its 1930s-era facility, which federal officials say is too close to the runway under modern safety standards.

After a protracted and bitter fight, city and airport negotiators signed a tentative deal last year to build a new terminal and settle litigation between the parties.

The plan came under attack from neighbors, airlines, the FAA and others. To assuage Burbank residents, the City Council agreed to get voter approval on any terminal plan.

“It’s a fair and reasonable offer from the city,” Charles Lombardo, one of the three commissioners from Burbank on the nine-member Airport Authority, said of the latest plan. “If this isn’t accepted we won’t see a new terminal for the foreseeable future.”