BURBANK TO FIGHT AIRPORT GROWTH : COUNCIL TO APPEAL APPROVAL BY FAA.

Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer

The Burbank City Council has voted unanimously to fight the federal government's approval of plans to expand the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport.

It will join the city of Los Angeles in protesting the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to allow the airport to buy 140 acres of property from Lockheed Martin Corp. for a new terminal, which would be three times the size of the existing one and include five new gates.

The council Tuesday night ordered that the appeal be made, and it is expected to be filed later this week to beat a May 14 deadline.

``With that cutoff date looming, we had no choice,'' said Councilman Ted McConkey.

The Los Angeles City Council - because of noise objections from residents under the flight path - decided two weeks ago to appeal the FAA's mid-March approval of the expansion plans.

Robert Bloom, manager of the planning and programming for the FAA, said the agency has not received notice of an appeal from the city of Burbank and declined to comment.

He said the FAA strongly supports the changes described in its decision.

``It would certainly enhance the safety of the airport,'' Bloom said.

Although Burbank officials were poised to file an appeal the day the decision

was handed down, they delayed in hopes of working out a compromise with airport officials.

In a related issue, a mediator is trying to work out a truce between Burbank city officials and airport officials over the expansion. Officials said if an agreement is reached soon, the court action might be unnecessary.

The FAA gave its approval for the $355 million expansion plan, including land acquisition and construction of a new terminal, new parking areas and taxiways, as well as demolition of the existing terminal.

The airport's authority board was created by the state Legislature in the late 1970s to oversee operations of Burbank Airport. The city councils from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena each appoint three people to sit as airport commissioners.

For years, the staff and commissioners have had plans for a major renovation at the airport.

Airport staff and commissioners from Glendale and Pasadena contend the terminal needs to be moved because it is 400 feet too close to the center line of the runway under current FAA regulations.

But since the airport is in Burbank, city officials there are the ones who must contend with complaints from residents over jet noise.

They are wary of the terminal renovation plan because of the potential for increased traffic and noise with the addition of five new gates, bringing the total to 19.