Burbank residents learn about proposed replacement terminal project for airport
Hollywood Burbank Airport officials on Thursday hosted one of two community workshops to inform Burbank residents about a proposed 14-gate replacement terminal.
About 50 people attended the workshop, held in a meeting room in the Community Services Building, where several 50-inch, high-definition televisions were set up and displayed a PowerPoint presentation made by airport staff explaining the major components of the highly debated project.
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Airport officials are looking to replace the existing 232,000-square-foot terminal with a new facility that meets current Federal Aviation Administration and modern seismic standards.
Airport staff members and consultants were available at each station to answer any questions residents had about any aspect of a draft environmental impact report for the project.
“Our goal is to make sure that Burbank residents and the greater number of people that live in the region understand the issues surrounding the replacement terminal,” said Dan Feger, the airfield’s executive director. “This is really about education, and soliciting public input and being able to answer each and every one of those questions in the final [environmental impact report].”
The draft report was published on April 29 and marked the beginning of a 45-day public review process that allows anyone to make comments about the proposal. Airport officials will accept comments and questions through June 13.
Hollywood Burbank officials are leaning toward building a new 355,000-square-foot terminal with 14 gates in the northeast quadrant of the airfield. Two other options are building a 355,000-square-foot or a 232,000-square-foot, 14-gate terminal in the southwest corner of the airfield.
However, consultants said in the draft report that the two latter options would have considerably more environmental impact — such as the potential removal of trees and relocation of a hangar that is eligible for a listing on the National Register of Historic Places — compared to building the terminal in the northeast area.
Resident Emilia Platas attended the workshop to better inform herself and her family who live near the airport about the proposed project. She said she favors the new terminal in the northeast section, but was concerned about how the project would be paid for, what the environmental impacts would be and how it would affect traffic.
Platas said that she probably will not read the entire 3,700-page report and appreciated the workshop for keeping her informed.
Resident Doug Isbell also liked the new terminal in the northeast quadrant, saying that he likes that airport officials are adamant about having only 14 gates.
“It’s probably good for the economy of Burbank,” he said.
Airport officials will host another community workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on June 1 at the Buena Vista Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St.
Residents will also have a chance to make public comments during a meeting of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority at 9 a.m. on June 6 at the airfield.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
