Any Airport Growth Is Significant to Neighbors

* Brian Bowman’s Aug. 7 letter regarding the article “Airport’s Neighbors Blast Expansion Plan” proves that as the president of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority he is more interested in toeing the correct political line than in listening to his neighbors.

Bowman stated that part of the primary area of public debate is whether “an increase (in aircraft noise) will be ‘significant’ as defined by state government.” He went on to say “the analysis shows residential areas around the airport would not experience a ‘significant’ increase in noise exposure, as defined by federal and state standards.”

Clearly, Bowman cares only about the federal or state definitions of “significant,” not his airport’s neighbors’ definition of the word.

Those who live around the airport (or even miles away under its landing patterns) know the noise is significant, whether the government defines it as such or not. Any more noise from additional planes will prevent the quiet enjoyment of our property, day and night, and destroy our property values. That’s the primary area of public debate. We want justice, not definitions and decisions issued by people whose lives won’t be affected other than by an increase in their paycheck or their prestige.

SUSAN ROBINS

Van Nuys

* The Yogi Berraesque letter by Brian B. Bowman, president of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, (Aug. 7) continues the decades-old obfuscation by the noisemaker/rulers of our friendly neighborhood airport.

Mr. Bowman attempts to defend the “revised” environmental impact report that was ordered by the Superior Court of California after it ruled that the airport authority had not adequately addressed the noise impact of adjoining communities of the proposed expansion.

“Yes, there will be more planes and indeed more noise,” says Mr. Bowman. That is exactly the point. The residents who live under the barrage of takeoffs don’t want more planes and more noise. One more takeoff is “significant.” Ten fewer operations per day would be significantly better.

More than 20 years ago when LAX had its major expansion, dozens of homes--an entire neighborhood in Playa del Rey--were condemned and removed to rescue these residents from a hellish fate. Such a buyout could not occur to the thousands of residents surrounding the Burbank Airport.

The fact that this airport was here 60 years ago does not preordain growth at the expense of the citizenry. This is particularly relevant with the authority’s obstinate refusal to share the noise by easterly takeoffs over Burbank and Glendale.

The only mitigation measure to more planes is fewer planes. Or try sharing the existing noise with your people, Mr. Bowman--say for six months. Then let’s see who really wants more noisy jets pounding our skis. This is the American way.

ZANVILLE S. GREEN

Studio City