COUNCIL EXTENDS CURFEW AT AIRPORT; VAN NUYS FIELD GETS NEW TAKEOFF LIMITS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

After years of debate about noise problems at Van Nuys Airport, the Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to extend the curfew at the airfield so that noisy jets will be barred from taking off after 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.

Councilman Joel Wachs, whose district includes the airport, hailed the action as ``a major step toward improving the quality of life in this community.''

``It's a lot easier to wind down in comfort after a long, hard day if your windows aren't rattling and your house isn't shaking,'' Wachs said.

The curfew expansion was the culmination of six years of work since a noise study committee recommended it, said Don Schultz, president of the Van Nuys Homeowners Association.

``I think this is the most significant thing to happen for noise relief at Van Nuys Airport since the 1981 curfew was first approved,'' Schultz said.

Some homeowners, however, wanted the council to go further in curbing airport noise.

In setting the curfew hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for jets louder than 74 decibels, the council did not act on a companion proposal to ban the additional stationing of noisy, Stage 2 jets at the airport, noted Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino.

``It's a drop in the bucket,'' Silver said of the council action. ``It's too little, too late. It provides virtually no relief.''

The ``nonaddition rule'' for Stage 2 jets was pulled back from the council by the Airport Commission after tenants at Van Nuys Airport warned that it would have devastating financial effects on their businesses.

A task force of tenants and homeowner leaders has been formed to try to work out a compromise. Silver, who is not part of the group, called the talks a scam meant to water down any regulations.

Silver wants to ban new, noisy jets from the airfield and set a schedule for phasing out the use of Stage 2 aircraft based there.

Harold Lee, who runs Million Air at Van Nuys Airport and heads an airport tenant group, said the tenants support the curfew change but strenuously object to the nonaddition rule.

``The nonaddition rule just hurts the businesses, and all it does is transfer noise from Van Nuys to Burbank Airport,'' Lee said.

Tenants are hoping to at least be allowed to replace Stage 2 aircraft when they are sold.

``It means the fleet could not grow,'' Lee said of the proposed compromise.

The nonaddition rule would not allow replacements if aircraft reach the end of their useful life or are sold, he said.

Lee said there are about 40 of the older, noisier Stage 2 jets still at Van Nuys Airport, and they are leaving at a rate of about five per year.

Silver wants a firm phaseout schedule.

Wachs said it is a key priority to examine the effects of the nonaddition rule in the coming months. He said noise and economic impact studies are being done on the rule and that the Airport Commission hopes to have a public hearing in February in the San Fernando Valley to discuss the proposed rule.

``We want people to be happy where they live at all hours of the day,'' Wachs said.

The new curfew hours will go into effect 30 days after the ordinance is approved by Mayor Richard Riordan. He has 10 days to decide.