Terminal Expansion Plan Gains

Officials voted Monday to condemn a 130-acre parcel as the site of a new, expanded Burbank Airport passenger terminal.

The long-awaited action by the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority defied both the city of Burbank, which has opposed airport expansion, and the landowner, Lockheed Martin Corp., which claims the property is worth many times what the city has offered.

The decision is almost certain to add yet another lawsuit to the legal snarl over expansion, sought by Glendale and Pasadena representatives and opposed by Burbank. Each city selects three members to the board that controls the airport.

Citing concerns over more noise and traffic, Burbank has opposed current expansion plans. The Authority majority has pushed for expansion of the terminal, through which 5 million people pass each year.

The Authority voted 6 to 2 Monday, with Burbank Commissioners Philip Berlin and Margie Gee dissenting, to invoke the airport’s eminent domain powers to buy the Lockheed B-6 property, a triangular parcel northwest of the existing airport terminal.

Last year, the airport offered $3 million--$39 million to cover the appraised value, minus $36 million in estimated costs--to clean up years of soil contamination. Lockheed counter-offered, asking $100 million, airport officials said.

“We made a legitimate offer on the land,” Glendale Commissioner Carl Raggio Jr. said. “Lockheed is responsible for the pollution, therefore they are responsible for cleaning it up, and that is what brought the final offer down.

“Lockheed feels the offer is not suitable, and that’s natural. Every seller feels that way. I think we can work this out, even if we have to go to court to do it. But that’s not unusual,” Raggio said.

The condemnation action effectively bars Lockheed from negotiating with other potential buyers.

In a statement, Lockheed said it would “pursue appropriate action to achieve a fair resolution.”

“Lockheed Martin does not agree with the valuation of the property,” the statement said. “The value as set by the authority is grossly understated and substantially less than appraised values.”

Airport officials said they believe Lockheed’s asking price for the land is over-inflated. If Lockheed files suit, the officials said they expect it could take up to two years for the matter to be resolved in court.

But Councilman Ted McConkey said he believes the airport’s action is meaningless because all issues will be decided in a separate lawsuit pending in federal court.

McConkey also contended that the Airport Authority is powerless to proceed with any action on terminal expansion without the permission of the city of Burbank.