Burbank Airport Expansion

* Re “Airport Authority Should Now Court Compromise,” Nov. 9.

I totally agree the Burbank Airport expansion issue has dragged on too long at too great a cost. Safety is a concern and will be addressed with the expansion under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. Expansion can be going from 14 gates to 15 gates.

The FAA should step in and give the parties one year to complete negotiations. Sign contracts for the airport expansion. If this is not done, the FAA must shut down Burbank Airport with no aircraft movements until contracts are in place. Jan. 1, 1999, must be the deadline.

JOHN K. BEACH

Glendale

* “Burbank Airport in Another Dogfight,” (Oct. 6) was the best overall report I have seen on issues related to airport expansion. What is at stake is whether or not an airport can use the power of the Federal Aviation Administration to impose punitive conditions on the public.

The airport has said for 12 years, “We are governed by the FAA. Our goals are safety-related. Nothing can stand in the way of achieving those goals. We are going to build a new, safer, expanded terminal.”

Burbank residents don’t see it that way. We maintain that a smaller terminal would accomplish the same thing. The tranquillity of 10 times the number of people on the ground should take precedent over the convenience of airline passengers.

We cannot allow bureaucracies to trample the rights of the majority. These matters are bound to end up in the Supreme Court because too much is at stake. The FAA and authority maintain they are answerable to no one. Burbank residents say this matter is too important to brush aside. We will spend millions to defeat those who will not respect our rights because it will protect everyone else as well.

DON ELSMORE

Burbank