Laura Sturza
With Measure A deemed illegal, the city of Burbank will be able to
control expansion at the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport with the
help of an ordinance approved at this week's Burbank City Council
meeting.
"This now ensures that the airport can't jump in and do new
construction while the City Council decides what policies to adopt on
the airport," said Peter Kirsch, special counsel to Burbank on
airport issues, following Friday's ruling on Measure A. The
voter-approved initiative limited flight times and expansion.
The ordinance restricts airport projects, except when "directly
and substantially related to enhancing airport security." Minor
improvements, such as remodeling a bathroom or changing an electrical
permit, would also be eligible for approval, Burbank Councilman Jef
Vander Borght said.
The law is valid for 45 days, then can be renewed for up to two
years. City officials expect to have completed zoning standards for
airport land before the two-year deadline passes. No such standards
exist for the airport, as they do for all other city land, Vander
Borght said.
The decision came one day after the Airport Authority's vote to
proceed with awarding a construction contract for a $25-million,
40,000-square-foot security expansion project, though building
permits have not been approved by Burbank.
The federal government has imposed a Dec. 31 deadline for airports
across the nation to install better security checks.
Passing the Interim Development Control Ordinance is a stop-gap
measure to protect the city from losing control over airport growth,
since Measure A was struck down Friday by a Los Angeles judge.
Of the new law, Airport Authority spokesman Victor Gill said "it
hasn't really been on the radar scope. We've been trying to meet the
requirements of federal law this week."
Meanwhile, the airport started construction early Friday morning,
and was stopped by the city.
"They are in violation of the municipal code and the uniform
building code," Community Development Director Sue Georgino said.
"They are to stop all work until they come into compliance."
It will take at least two weeks for the city to decide whether to
issue building permits for the project, officials said.
Council members stopped short Tuesday of approving another law to
speed the development appeal process for airport security projects.
If it had been approved, appeals of future permit requests would have
gone straight to City Council, bypassing the Planning Board.
City Council weighed the need to expedite security-based
applications with the need to give building approval a thorough
review.
"The Planning Board, when they go through a [review] process, they
open our eyes," Councilwoman Marsha Ramos said. "It really does
assist me with my decision-making process, along with public input."
