Planning Board OKs replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport
The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority’s efforts to build a 14-gate replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport got closer this week to being more than just an idea on paper.
The Burbank Planning Board unanimously voted during a special meeting Thursday to recommend that the City Council approve the authority’s project to build a 355,000-square-foot facility on either the northeast quadrant of the airport, known as the B-6 parcel, or the southwest area.
The recommendation includes approval of the project’s environmental-impact report and a development agreement between the city and the authority, which lays out the powers and responsibilities each agency has.
Board member Undine Petrulis said during the meeting that a new terminal is much needed and she thinks that the environmental-impact report and the development agreement have been thoroughly vetted by authority and city staffs.
“After flying this summer and seeing what some of the other airports look like and coming back to Burbank now, it’s in dire need of upgrading,” she said. “I am thrilled to have this project before us.”
Petrulis added that she thinks authority staff members have thoroughly developed a mitigation plan for construction of the proposed facility. Additionally, she said she thinks one of the measures in the development agreement will protect Burbank regarding significant decisions.
Under the agreement, a supermajority-voting requirement would be established among the authority’s nine commissioners on major issues, such as increasing the number of airline gates, expansion of the terminal, acquiring land or entering into long-term contracts.
On those issues, at least two of the three commissioners from each city in the authority must approve them. such issues.
The development agreement would also establish that the authority has vested rights to build the terminal on either site.
In order for the authority to build the terminal on the B-6 parcel, residents must approve a ballot measure known as Measure B.
If the ballot measure fails, airport officials have said that they would forgo building the facility on the northeast section and construct the replacement terminal on the southwest quadrant, which they say does not require voter approval because the property is owned by the airport.
Board member Kimberly Jo said she feels reassured with the environmental-impact report that authority staff compiled and thinks that the proper mitigation programs are in place.
The report looked into the impacts of constructing the 355,000-square-foot terminal on the B-6 parcel and the southwest quadrant. It also studied the possible effects of constructing a 232,000-square-foot facility on the southwest area and what would happen if no new terminal was built.
Now that the Planning Board has recommended approval of the project, it will be before City Council to determine whether it should give the authority the green light.
The city will be hosting a two-day public hearing on July 25 and 26, during which council members will vote on whether to approve the project and calling for a Measure B election.
In the meantime, authority commissioners will be voting Monday on whether to approve the environmental-impact report.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
