AIRPORT—Airport Panel Change Disappoints Burbank Officials

One of the two newly appointed Burbank Airport Authority commissioners has said he’d be willing to revisit the original, albeit highly controversial, plan by the airport to build a new 14-gate terminal on property formerly owned by Lockheed Martin Corp. But before that can happen, airport officials say the city of Burbank must rescind its recent demand for a new environmental impact report on the property. And, regardless of whether there are fresh attitudes ahead for the nine-member commission, airport officials say the EIR request is threatening to add more delays and expenses to what has already cost the two sides close to a combined $20 million in legal fees. City officials, however, say the EIR could have been completed as early as this fall, had the airport stuck with the process already agreed to. That is the atmosphere that greets new airport commission members Bill Wiggins and Dave Newsham, who were selected by the Burbank City Council earlier this month to replace Phil Berlin and Ingolf Klengler. Wiggins is a former Burbank city councilman and Newsham a former Burbank police chief. Sitting Burbank Commissioner Charlie Lombardo was reappointed. Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena city councils each have the authority to select three commissioners to the nine-member airport commission every four years. And, although the terms were up for the three commissioners each from Glendale and Pasadena, the city councils of those cities opted to reappoint all their representatives, dashing Burbank’s hopes for new faces, and perhaps new opportunities for resolution. Burbank city officials, perhaps responding to criticism from constituents, believe commission members from other cities have not been responsive to their concerns. “We were disappointed that neither Glendale nor Pasadena chose to follow suit,” said Burbank City Manager Robert “Bud” Ovrom. “We made changes because we believe that it’s time for some fresh thinking.” It’s no secret that Burbank commissioners have often locked horns with Glendale and Pasadena representatives. And Ovrom said the fact that neither of the other two cities chose to make changes to their panels indicates little interest on their part in putting an end to the status quo. Wiggins said the authority commission, in his view, has been mired in acrimony for years and must change if any progress is going to be made. “I’ve watched the Airport Authority over the last six years and, in my humble opinion, it has been basically dysfunctional,” Wiggins said. “I think there has been so much animosity and so many personalities involved that it just was not working well. I’d like to see some of the rhetoric toned down a few notches.” Newsham, on the Burbank police force for nearly 30 years, 10 as chief of police, said he recognizes the concerns of the citizens of Burbank, but would be open to revisiting the airport’s original plan for building the new terminal on the former B-6 property. In February, the airport commission withdrew its application to build the terminal on that land after Burbank officials requested it submit an updated EIR. The airport has since put the B-6 property up for sale and is now focusing on a plan to place the terminal on a smaller chunk of land, which it already owns, meaning there may be fewer obstacles. Newsham said airport concerns about a new terminal are legitimate and more wrangling over a new EIR will undoubtedly lead to more lawsuits and acrimony between the two camps. “I would hate to think that the original terminal site is totally a dead deal,” said Newsham. “From a facilities point of view, if there is going to be a new terminal, then that site makes sense. But it may very well be that we are too far down the road and it may not be possible. But that is certainly one of the first questions I’d like to ask.” Wiggins said he wasn’t prepared to discuss the possibility of getting original talks for the B-6 site back on track or whether the smaller parcel of land would ever be a viable option for a new terminal. He did, however, indicate that it’s feasible to think the airport and the city could agree to stop the sale of the land, but is fairly certain that that would require an agreement between the two camps. Ovrom said the Glendale City Council intends to get more directly involved in discussions with Burbank and the airport, which he said could help get talks back on track. “Given that none of the commissioners from Glendale or Pasadena were changed, we will start talking directly to the two city councils,” said Ovrom. “No reason to talk to these same commissioners, we know where they stand.” Glendale City Councilman Gus Gomez said the council decided to reappoint its commissioners because of the depth of their experience with airport issues. “I think it would be a mistake to lose that by replacing those commissioners,” Gomez said. Glendale Commissioner and Authority President Carl Meseck has served five consecutive four-year terms on the board. Airport Executive Director Dios Marrero said the makeup of the airport commission is not the stumbling block to moving forward with terminal plans, it’s the city’s request for a new EIR. “In the last two years there has been no acrimony on this commission, and the notion that there has been is just a myth being perpetuated by people (that) is wrong and irresponsible,” said Marrero. He said the commission voting record over the last two years has reflected a stronger sense of camaraderie, and a recognition that old arguments have faded and it’s time to move on. “When do we put to bed the myth that we still have the Hatfields and McCoys here?” asked Marrero.