CITIES TO OPPOSE LAX PLAN TOO MANY PASSENGERS ALLOWED, SAY OFFICIALS WHO ONCE BACKED HAHN.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Mayor James Hahn's proposed $9.1 billion modernization of Los Angeles International Airport faces new criticism - this time from former supporters who now are afraid LAX will grow more than projected.

Officials of El Segundo and other neighboring cities have scheduled a news conference for today to announce they have changed their stance and are now opposed to the mayor's plan because of a new report showing that it could result in as many as 87 million passengers a year using LAX.

``We were there with the mayor in support of this when he first released it,'' El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon said in an interview. ``But as we look at it, he is saying one thing and the plan says something different.

``Unless there are changes in the plan to guarantee LAX will not grow by more than 78 million annual passengers, we have no choice but to oppose it.''

Hahn said he wants to work with the neighboring cities on the issue and remained committed to limiting passenger traffic at LAX.

``The mayor shares the concern over the quality of life for the area around LAX and has full confidence that the 78 million annual passenger cap can be put in place,'' spokeswoman Elizabeth Kaltman said.

But Gordon said he had been unsuccessful in negotiating with airport officials and Hahn aides.

``They told us their estimates were based on market studies,'' Gordon said. ``That's totally unacceptable. We want them to look at actual capacity at LAX.''

Gordon said the decision to oppose the plan, scheduled for final environmental hearings this fall, came as a result of a study by professor Adib Kanafani of the University of California at Berkeley, who questioned whether the city's proposal would limit growth by eliminating terminal gates.

``Gates can be an effective means of constraining passengers at an airport,'' Kanafani said in a statement. ``But in order for it to work, one must accurately account for the number of passengers the gates are capable of handling.''

In his study, Kanafani said he believed that the LAX plan would allow up to 87 million passengers a year.

He also said airport officials failed to provide sufficient mitigation for noise, traffic and pollution problems.

Gordon said El Segundo plans to fight Hahn's proposal.

``The expansion of LAX continues to be the No. 1 threat to the quality of life in El Segundo and other communities,'' Gordon said. ``We will pursue all political and legal means available to us to ensure that LAX does not grow beyond 78 million annual passengers.''

In addition to El Segundo, officials from Hermosa Beach, Lawndale, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Hawthorne and Culver City plan to attend the news conference.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who represents the LAX area, is out of town, but one of her aides is scheduled to attend. Miscikowski has expressed concerns about airport growth and the creation of an off-site passenger and baggage screening area.

Even as airport neighbors are fighting to contain growth, business interests are questioning whether there should be such strict limits on capacity at LAX.

``It is kind of a no-win situation for the mayor,'' said Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit group that earlier criticized the plan for not providing more growth.

``We need it as an economic engine - it generates $60 billion a year - and we need to make it more user-friendly and more secure. At the same time, the entire airline industry is changing and no one can say how it will look in the next 10 years.''

In addition to the Economic Development Corp., the Valley Industry and Commerce Association came out in support of only the most basic elements of the plan in lengthening and widening runways to accommodate new, larger jets.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com