AIRPORT ISSUE STALLS PERMITS.

Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer

BURBANK - Fearing lawsuits from developers whose airport-related projects have been placed on hold because of voter-approved Measure A, city staff have taken the unusal step of asking the City Council to vote on whether to issue building permits.

The council is scheduled Tuesday to vote on permits for a 3,732-space parking lot near the Burbank Airport proposed by Zelman Development Co. and an electrical panel replacement project proposed by cargo carrier Ameriflight for a paint booth.

Typically, building permits are issued by building officials, without further consideration by the council.

``This is being done because we don't know what to do. We are being caught between a rock and a hard place,'' said City Manager Robert ``Bud'' Ovrom, whose staff have told him they don't how to interpret and apply Measure A.

Passed overwhelmingly by voters Oct. 9, Measure A requires any new terminal plan at Burbank Airport to include an overnight curfew and a cap on the number of flights. Claiming the initiative contains vague language and unconstitutional provisions, city officials have filed suit to overturn it.

And as a precautionary measure, they also stopped processing any airport- related building applications for fear the action would be interpreted as consent for a new terminal.

However, with the dispute over Measure A appearing likely to continue for sometime, city officials now feel that completed building applications must be dealt with one way or another.

``The way to keep things from blowing up is to make decisions and not let people twist in the wind,'' said Ovrom, who noted that Zelman has millions tied up in the parking lot project.

As a sign of the concern Measure A has caused among airport-related developers, Ben Reiling, president of Zelman, last Tuesday sat through the late night council meeting in the hopes of learning definitively how the council will deal with Measure A. The council has continued discussion on whether to withdraw the lawsuit to tonight.

``(City staff) are not issuing the permit as yet. I think they are still looking at our plans,'' said Reiling. ``We don't know whether or not they will issue the permit. We are waiting to see.''

In a staff report, City Attorney Dennis Barlow said he does not believe Measure A applies to the Zelman project. Sue Georgino, head of community development said, the reasoning is that the Zelman property is not owned by the airport authority nor is the agency directly involved in the project.

However, Barlow believes Measure A applies to the Ameriflight project because the cargo carrier is located on airport authority-owned land and performs functions related to the airport and aircraft operations.