Burbank’s Abstention on Vote Miffs Airport Board

Defending efforts to move ahead with a study seeking restrictions on flights at Burbank Airport, the president of the airport’s governing board criticized Burbank on Tuesday for what she called “disingenuous” threats to scuttle the process.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority voted in October to initiate a so-called Part 161 study, an exhaustive and expensive federal review needed to convert the airport’s curfew on flights between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.--now voluntary--into a true ban.

Burbank officials--who have been fighting the airport’s plans to build a new terminal and fear the study could help bring it about--said the city reserved the right to oppose the results of the study and continue the fight against the terminal.

The airport authority voted 5 to 0 Monday, with the three Burbank commissioners abstaining, to approve selection of consultants Landrum & Brown and subcontractor SH&E; to conduct the Part 161 study.

In a letter to Burbank Mayor David Golonski, Airport Authority President Joyce Streator vowed to move ahead despite the city’s opposition.

“The choice of Burbank’s commissioners Monday to abstain from the vote . . . only demonstrates further that the City seems determined to cause and encourage the failure of any possible solution,” Streator said. “It would be grossly unfair for one stakeholder to have an advantage over all of the others.”

But Burbank Commissioner Charles Lombardo said the selection of the Part 161 consultants was flawed.

“Burbank’s commissioners were not allowed to complete interviewing of the candidates,” said Lombardo. “The airport authority is always saying what they can’t give Burbank. They missed a golden opportunity to make Burbank residents feel like they were a part of the process.”