Glendale Mayor Calls for an End to Airport Fight

Mayor Larry Zarian has urged both sides in the fight over a proposed new terminal at Burbank Airport to end their expensive legal battle and renew stalled negotiations.

In a letter to the mayors of Burbank and Pasadena and the president of the Burbank airport authority this week, Zarian called the prolonged fight a “vicious cycle.”

“Each time there is a decision, the losing side vows to appeal the court ruling,” he said. “The continued appeals on both sides benefit only the legal profession, not the taxpayers.”

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority won the latest round of the battle with the city of Burbank, which opposes building a larger terminal. The Burbank City Council voted 4 to 0 Tuesday to appeal the ruling.

“Our respective communities are impatiently waiting for a speedy resolution” of the issue, but more litigation will not accomplish that goal, Zarian wrote on Tuesday to Burbank Mayor Bob Kramer, Pasadena Mayor Chris Holden and airport commission President Joyce Streator.

Since 1996, the airport has been pushing plans to build a new and expanded terminal on 130 acres owned by the Lockheed Corp. Burbank officials have fought the plan, saying it will result in unacceptable levels of noise and traffic.

It appeared for a time that Burbank would block the airport’s land purchase when Superior Court Judge Carl J. West ruled that the state Public Utilities Code grants cities land-use powers over airports within their boundaries.

But then West ruled on Feb. 11 that Burbank had signed away that authority when the city entered into a joint-powers agreement in 1977 with Glendale and Pasadena to establish the joint authority to run the airport. That spurred the Burbank council to vow to carry on the fight. Thus far, Burbank has spent more than $4 million to fight the airport in court. The airport authority has incurred fees of more than $2 million.

Burbank Mayor Bob Kramer defended the decision to appeal, saying the city would “fight for our community.” But he added: “This city is willing to meet with anybody, any time to try and resolve the airport conflict.”

Airport authority spokesman Victor Gill defended the airport’s commitment to negotiations, saying, “The airport has a long track record of taking part in negotiations and mediation with the city of Burbank.”