AIRPORT EXPANSION HALTED; FAA OPPOSITION FORCES BURBANK TO SCRAP PLANS.Byline: Lee Condon Staff Writer BURBANK - The city of Burbank abandoned expansion talks with Burbank Airport on Friday, saying it's a waste of time and money to continue because of Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control opposition. The city had hoped to make a final decision on whether to approve a proposed airport expansion deal by the end of April. But on Friday, the whole schedule was scrapped. City officials say they will not resume talks until they get definitive answers about the proposal from the FAA. ``The FAA says they want you to come up with a local solution, and you work your ass off to get one, then the FAA says it's not good enough but won't tell you why,'' Burbank Mayor Stacey Murphy said. Burbank officials said the whole deal might have to be killed if the FAA raises certain objections. They are most concerned that the FAA will force them to drop a plan to close the terminal from 11 p.m to 7 a.m. because of intense airline opposition. In addition, the city's proposal to continue a ban on eastern takeoffs may also be in jeopardy because of opposition from powerful Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. politicians. In a scathing letter to airport officials, Murphy said it was irresponsible ir·re·spon·si·ble adj. 1. Marked by a lack of responsibility: irresponsible accusations. 2. Lacking a sense of responsibility; unreliable or untrustworthy. 3. of FAA Chief Jane Garvey This article is about the aviation adminstrator. For the BBC Radio Five Live presenter, see Jane Garvey (broadcaster). Jane Garvey (Jane Famiano) was head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration from 1997 to 2002. Garvey earned her B.A. to state in a November letter that parts of the deal were illegal without explaining why. She accused Garvey of caving in to pressure from the airlines to kill the proposed expansion agreement. Murphy said it's a waste of taxpayer money to continue work on the development agreement until the FAA has informed the city whether the deal is viable. Murphy asked that the FAA make their position clear by the end of this month. Mitch Barker barker a term for an animal that does not usually bark which makes a violent respiratory effort, often during a convulsion, accompanied by a sound which roughly resembles a dog's bark. , a spokesman for the FAA, said Garvey was not available for comment Friday. However, he released a statement from the FAA regarding Burbank's decision. The statement did not respond to Murphy's allegations that the FAA has intentionally in·ten·tion·al adj. 1. Done deliberately; intended: an intentional slight. See Synonyms at voluntary. 2. Having to do with intention. hindered local agreement. ``Since receiving the framework agreement from the city and the airport authority, we have spent many many hours in discussions with both parties on all parts of the framework. Those discussions included identifying specific areas of concern and doing exactly what the mayor asked - discussing how those concerns could be mitigated,'' the FAA statement reads. Burbank city and airport officials have spent the last six months attempting to craft a development agreement for the airport's proposed new terminal. In August, the city and the airport took the first steps toward a deal by reaching a framework agreement on expansion. That treaty was a major step, as the city had spent four years and millions of dollars on a legal war to fight unlimited airport growth. Public hearings on the development agreement were to begin in coming weeks, with the Burbank City Council set to make a final decision by the end of April. City Manager Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom said all such schedules have been scrapped. ``We're not going to work blind on this any more,'' Ovrom said. ``If there's blood on anyone's hands, it's Jane Garvey's.'' Airport Authority President Carl Meseck said he agrees with Murphy that local leaders need to press Garvey for answers. ``We share in that frustration,'' Meseck said. ``We are asking her to give us some direction. (Murphy's letter) will probably help to bring things to a quicker conclusion.'' Meseck said he hopes the airport project does not get stalled again. ``We still have a terminal located too close to the runways, and that problem has to be solved,'' Meseck said. City officials are most concerned that the FAA might eventually rule that closing the terminal between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. violates federal law. Although flights would still be able to land at night, the closure would provide a disincentive dis·in·cen·tive n. Something that prevents or discourages action; a deterrent. disincentive Noun something that discourages someone from behaving or acting in a particular way Noun 1. to airlines to fly in the middle of the night. City officials have said that the whole deal will die if the closure is knocked out. The airlines have come out strongly against the terminal closure idea, dubbing dubbing removal of most of the comb of day-old chickens. See also decombing. it a ``de facto [Latin, In fact.] In fact, in deed, actually. This phrase is used to characterize an officer, a government, a past action, or a state of affairs that must be accepted for all practical purposes, but is illegal or illegitimate. curfew'' and saying it would set a precedent other airports nationwide might try to follow. Garvey urged local leaders in fall 1998 to come up with a local solution to their dispute. Ovrom said that since then, he suspects the airlines have been pressuring her to kill the terminal closure proposal. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what happened with this Jane Garvey Jekyll and Hyde Jekyll and Hyde 1. A slang term referring to the strengths and weaknesses of a company's financial statements. 2. An asset that suddenly increases or decreases in value. 3. thing,'' Ovrom said. ``It would appear she turned on us because of pressure from the airlines.'' Rep. James Rogan, R-Pasadena, who represents Burbank and Glendale, supports the ban on eastern takeoffs. He said Garvey may be trying to appease ap·pease tr.v. ap·peased, ap·peas·ing, ap·peas·es 1. To bring peace, quiet, or calm to; soothe. 2. To satisfy or relieve: appease one's thirst. 3. the Democratic congressmen who represent the Los Angeles communities west of the airport. ``The FAA reversed itself on its call for a local solution just as the Democratic congressmen have increased pressure to lift the ban on eastern takeoffs,'' Rogan said. ``Back in my days as a judge, we'd call that circumstantial evidence circumstantial evidence In law, evidence that is drawn not from direct observation of a fact at issue but from events or circumstances that surround it. If a witness arrives at a crime scene seconds after hearing a gunshot to find someone standing over a corpse and holding a .'' |
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