Burbank Airport Wants Extension

Faced with a looming federal deadline to develop a plan to build a new terminal -- or return more than $40 million -- Burbank Airport officials said Monday they would ask for more time to decide what to do.

After emerging from a closed-door meeting, Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport commissioners said they are fully aware that the Federal Aviation Administration may hold firm to its Friday deadline, after which the agency may demand the return of money the airfield used to purchase land for a new terminal.

But commissioners said they hope the FAA will realize they have had insufficient time to explore their options, including a possible sale of the land.

“We need to talk to all the stakeholders and come up with a plan that works for everybody,” said Charles Lombardo, vice president of the airport authority.

The board plans to send the FAA a letter, possibly by today, to request an unspecified extension. Commissioners plan to meet Thursday behind closed doors, which would not be in violation of the state public meetings law because the discussion could involve the sale of property.

Many believe that selling the land, part of an 130-acre parcel the airport bought from Lockheed Martin, would be the death knell for any new terminal project because other nearby lots are not considered feasible sites.

“We don’t feel comfortable responding to the [FAA]” just yet, said Chris Holden, commission president. “We’re looking for a little more time to bring all the pieces together.”

The FAA is withholding comment until it receives the airport’s request in writing, spokeswoman Marcia Adams said.

On Feb. 26, FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey -- expressing frustration with the years of lawsuits and political battles that have immobilized the replacement terminal project -- imposed a 60-day ultimatum.

In November, airport commissioners voted to drop their 20-year effort to build a new terminal, believing there was too much opposition from Burbank residents, who have the power under a municipal law to block the project.

The Burbank City Council initially pushed to revive the project, believing the FAA would be more likely to approve nighttime curfews on flights -- a longtime goal of noise-conscious airport neighbors -- if the airport had a safer new building. But after Blakey deemed the two issues to be separate matters, the council voted last month to suspend its efforts toward a new terminal.

Some airport watchers were disappointed that officials once again are delaying decisions and leaving the project in limbo.

“They seem to be floundering around,” said Howard Rothenbach, who heads the anti-growth group Restore Our Airport Rights. “They’ve almost had 60 days. They should have been thinking about what they wanted to do right after the federal government set the deadline.”

But others say commissioners cannot and should not make such a big decision lightly.

“The size of the problems will take some time to work out,” said Burbank resident Don Elsmore. “I can’t blame the airport for asking for more time if they need to develop a budget for making repayment.”