Laura Sturza
City Council will hear an appeal Tuesday opposing Burbank-
Glendale-Pasadena Airport's security project, and building permits
for it could be issued as soon as Wednesday.
"We'd like to have it done by the end of next week," Community
Development Director Sue Georgino said of issuing the permits.
The $25-million, 40,000-square- foot addition was initially
stymied by the city's stated need to adhere to Measure A -- a law
limiting airport noise and expansion that was overturned Aug. 23 in
court.
Delays in permitting led to airport officials' Aug. 28
announcement that they will not have the necessary space to meet the
Dec. 31 federal deadline for screening all baggage.
The Planning Board upheld Georgino's approval of the project Aug.
26, and denied citizen appeals against it.
The city has been trying to determine if the entire project is
necessary to meet federal mandates by comparing the Transportation
Security Administration's assessment of the airport with Airport
Authority plans. Space for baggage-screening equipment, holding
rooms, security personnel and an expanded baggage-check area are in
the airport's permit request.
"[The Airport Authority] provided us with an extensive summary of
every use that they were either going to abandon, modify or add,"
Georgino said.
City Manager Bud Ovrom, City Atty. Dennis Barlow and Georgino are
required by an interim law passed Aug. 20 by the City Council to make
the final determination on the necessity of the entire project, but
won't announce their decision until after the City Council's appeal
ruling, Georgino said.
Burbank residents Stan Hyman and Howard Rothenbach filed separate
appeals this week. They cited a law passed in 2000 that gives voters
the right to approve any agreement between the city and airport for a
"relocated or expanded terminal."
The appeals contend that an environmental impact report should
have been completed for the project. Not all permit applications
require such a report, but the men argued that this project falls in
the class that requires one.
