LAX UPDATE CLOSER TO TAKEOFF.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

A massive $9.1 billion modernization plan for Los Angeles International Airport, bogged down in controversy for nearly a decade, passed a major hurdle Monday, winning approval from two city panels.

With Mayor James Hahn joined by a one-time critic in urging action, the city Airports Commission and Planning Commission approved a plan that includes a compromise giving the City Council greater say over how the development will proceed.

``This is a major milestone,'' Hahn told the commissions at a special joint meeting in the Convention Center. ``This consensus plan allows us to establish the groundwork for LAX. We do see growth coming, but we don't want to see it all at LAX.''

Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, who represents the area around LAX, had been critical of the mayor's plan and developed her own proposal, which was embraced by the mayor last week.

She urged the panels Monday to move ahead with the plans and reject calls for further delays.

``The time to act is now,'' Miscikowski said. ``Today marks a significant milestone. Delay is not an option.''

But Councilman Bernard Parks, who is considering a run for mayor against Hahn next year and whose district lies under the LAX flight path, said further study is needed regarding airport security, safety and traffic congestion among other issues.

Parks released his own proposal calling for eliminating some key features of the LAX plan and creating a new regional airport authority to determine air policies.

Parks' proposal came as a surprise to officials, including many who had been working for months on developing the compromise plan that gives the City Council greater say over long-term development at LAX.

Parks, however, said he doesn't believe there has been adequate response to the environmental study or recognition of the demands of residents.

``The public deserves to know now exactly what is planned for LAX,'' Parks said. ``This red-light/green-light proposal does not create a more complicated process, but simplified what needs to be done and telling the public the truth. My plan clearly states what will be built and, more importantly, what will be permanently eliminated.''

Parks said he was submitting his proposal to take the battle to the full City Council and counter that of Hahn and Miscikowski.

``I just want to be able to present my plan when it comes to council, and we'll see what happens there,'' Parks said.

The most controversial aspects of the mayor's original LAX plan called for the elimination of three terminals, as a way to limit growth to 78 million passengers a year, and for creating a new ground transportation center to serve as a screening point for all passengers and luggage.

Miscikowski's proposal would put those issues on hold and make them subject to further review by a future City Council after public hearings.

Hahn and Miscikowski agreed on a need to go ahead with other improvements proposed in the modernization plan, including improving runways to increase safety and accommodate larger planes, fixing up the Tom Bradley International Terminal and creating a new rental-car area.

The two also agreed on moving ahead with traffic improvements in and around the airport.

Parks' plan is similar in holding off on the terminal demolition and the ground transportation center.

He said more study is needed on security at the airport to deal with potential problems today and in the future.

``I think we can do this plan for a lot less money,'' Parks said. ``The mayor is talking about spending $9.1 billion, and there will be no real return on it.''

More time is needed to give the public further opportunity to review the plan, Parks said.

The major tenant at the airport, United Airlines, has been supportive of the modernization plan in its various forms, with officials saying their primary concern is seeing improvements at LAX.

Officials with the Air Transport Association, which represents nearly all the other airlines, had been less accepting of Hahn's original plans, however, and say they are more comfortable with the compromise proposal.

Of major concern to them was proposed elimination of the first three terminals and the resulting impact on air traffic and passengers, along with plans for the Manchester Square ground transportation center and elimination of parking in the main terminal area.

``We believe that a lot of problems could have been avoided if they had consulted with us earlier in the process,'' said Robert Diblee, spokesman for the Air Transport Association.

``We do support this new compromise and hope to be able to work with the city on its implementation.''

Also, some local opposition is expected to continue against any plan that includes the Manchester Square ground transportation center.

Former El Segundo Mayor Mike Gordon, who has collected more than 10,000 signatures on petitions opposing the proposal, said he expects the fight to go on.

``As long as that remains in the plans, we are going to be opposed to it,'' Gordon said. ``It doesn't matter what a specific plan says. That will be out there, and we will oppose it.''

The master plan for LAX has been in the works for nearly 10 years and was started by former Mayor Richard Riordan.

It has taken various forms - from far-fetched proposals to have runways into the ocean and to increase passengers to 100 million a year, to variations on the number of runways.

During the 2001 mayoral election, LAX was one of the top issues. Hahn and the other candidates signed pledges to limit its growth.

The plan underwent its most recent revision after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when security became the top priority in processing passengers while remaining alert to the terrorist threat.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com