Airport Rezoning Plan Killed : Van Nuys: Homeowner groups in the airfield area cheer the committee’s decision to end consideration of proposal.

A public meeting Monday on plans to reduce noise around the Van Nuys Airport attracted about 150 angry neighbors, many of whom feared airport officials had planned to rezone residential neighborhoods around the facility to drive out homeowners.

The fear was quickly attended to when the committee that had called the meeting voted unanimously to eliminate consideration of any such plan, bringing cheers from the audience.

The Van Nuys Airport Part 150 Committee, a panel named after a section of Federal Aviation Administration rules dealing with community participation in airport noise studies, met to hear public comments on 10 noise-reduction proposals.

A technical subcommittee of the Part 150 Committee had studied a plan in July to rezone adjacent neighborhoods for commercial and industrial uses to make the area compatible with the airport. A July 16 report by the technical subcommittee recommended the rezoning of nearly 1,600 houses on 146 acres, including 36 acres north of the airport and about 110 acres to the south.

A zoning change would have prohibited residential property owners from building new homes or from rebuilding houses that are significantly damaged in a natural disaster, and would encourage businesses to buy up property offered for sale, gradually squeezing out residents.

Two groups critical of the airport, Homeowners of Encino and Ban Airport Noise, distributed thousands of flyers in neighborhoods around the airport, warning residents about the rezoning plan.

Some of those attending the meeting wore lapel buttons bearing the words: “No rezoning, no jets.”

Several homeowners said they feared city and airport officials would do away with adjacent residential areas, just as city officials did in 1958 and 1959 when they condemned and purchased about 600 properties to expand the airport and extend a runway across Sherman Way, turning what had been a residential neighborhood into a golf course.

Robert Chick, president of the Board of Airport Commissioners--the Los Angeles city agency that runs the airport--said he did not know who came up with the idea to rezone residential neighborhoods, but added: “This airport commission will never support any rezoning at this airport.”

Will Ross, an attorney for the U.S. Department of Defense and member of the Part 150 Committee, said he also opposed any rezoning of residential areas around the airport.

“I for one would like to make sure that this Dracula has a stake placed firmly in the heart,” Ross said.

The Part 150 Committee, which has been working for three years to find ways to reduce airport noise, will meet again Dec. 9 to consider backing one of the 10 alternatives.

Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino, said he supports a ban of all jet takeoffs at night and a noise limit of 74 decibels on takeoffs during the day.

“When is this panel going to start listening to the public?” asked Silver, a longtime critic of the airport.

Carl Davison of Van Nuys, who said he has lived just south of the airport for 35 years, carried a sign that said, “Stop the pollution. Close the airport.”

“Just close the joint down!” Davison hollered during the meeting.

Several residents complained about the noise at the airport but few specifically supported any of the 10 alternative noise-reduction plans being studied by the panel.

Airport and city officials said last week that the technical panel is expected to back a proposal requiring pilots to ease up on thrust during takeoffs, and also to expand by one hour a nighttime ban on departures by the noisiest planes--those classed by the FAA as generating 74 or more decibels of noise on takeoff. The current noise curfew extends from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. The proposal would begin the curfew at 10 p.m.

By comparison, normal conversation heard 3 feet away measures 65 decibels, and a typical power lawn mower measures 97 at the same distance.

Alternative Noise Control Scenarios

* 1. Prohibit touch-and-go training (landing and takeoff practice) on weekends and holidays, and expand the nighttime ban on such maneuvers to 7 p.m. until 8 a.m. The present regulation prohibits touch-and-go training from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. during summer months, and 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. the rest of the year.

* 2. Prohibit all aircraft takeoffs, except for law enforcement, military and emergency flights, between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

* 3. Require pilots to reduce thrust during takeoffs.

* 4. Beginning in 1994, allow only newer, quieter jet aircraft, known as Stage III planes, to use the airport.

* 5. Prohibit takeoffs between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for the noisiest planes--those classed by the Federal Aviation Administration as generating 74 decibels of noise or more on takeoff. The present curfew runs from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

* 6. Ban aircraft generating 78 decibels of noise or more on takeoffs.

* 7. Ban planes generating 74 decibels of noise or more.

* 8. Require pilots to reduce thrust during takeoffs and ban planes generating 78 decibels or more.

* 9. Require pilots to reduce thrust during takeoffs, and prohibit takeoffs between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. of planes generating at least 74 decibels.

* 10. Reduce takeoff thrust and also ban planes generating 78 decibels or more.