Mayor Seeks FAA Counsel on Terminal

Burbank Mayor Stacey Murphy wrote Federal Aviation Administrator Jane Garvey on Friday asking again for clear guidance from federal officials on the legality of the Burbank Airport terminal framework agreement.

“I remain concerned that the recent exchange of correspondence has not added any clarity to an increasingly ambiguous situation,” Murphy told Garvey in a Feb. 18 letter. “Your letter does not answer the pivotal questions that I posed and, in fact, raises more questions than it answers.”

On Feb. 3, Murphy suspended talks with the airport over a development deal for the 14-gate, $300-million airport terminal, saying federal officials had not spelled out objections to the agreement.

The city and airport fought for decades over the size and scope of the terminal but finally reached a tentative deal in August calling for a three-phase terminal project.

The framework included closing the terminal between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.; linking terminal expansion to caps and curfews; and paying Burbank $1.5 million annually in lieu of lost property taxes. It was those provisions that drew almost immediate objections from the airlines, political leaders, residents and the FAA itself.

In a letter to The Times published in January, Garvey said she opposed an easterly takeoff ban and charged that the city and airport excluded the airlines and Los Angeles residents.

Garvey subsequently told Murphy federal officials had given Burbank the necessary legal guidance and offered to continue dialogue with the city and the airport.

Murphy said she agreed that it would be useful for City Council members and Airport Authority commissioners to meet face-to-face in “Southern California or Washington as soon as possible.”