Hangar Renovation Set for Discussion

The Van Nuys Airport Citizens Advisory Council will meet Tuesday to discuss the status of the most expensive city project ever undertaken at the airport--rebuilding two massive World War II hangars--and the possibility that the January meeting at which it was approved was not properly advertised.

Also on the agenda is the order for hangar tenant Syncro Aircraft Interiors Inc. to vacate and the proposed controversial non-addition rule, which would limit the number and type of aircraft allowed at the airport.

The hangar expenditure could be the most talked-about item at the meeting. At the Jan. 13 meeting, commissioners approved spending $11.5 million to repair the buildings, which were damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Although a notice of the proposed hangar contract was posted outside the commission’s hearing room, no notice of the possible cost was listed on the meeting’s agenda, which may be a violation of the provisions of the Brown Act, a state law requiring governments to function openly.

Department officials have said the late posting was legal. Syncro officials are particularly interested in this matter because approval would force them from the airport.

For the past year, the city has battled to evict the small entertainment industry business, which converted and is housed in one of the hangars. Like many of the tenants at Van Nuys Airport, Syncro holds a monthly lease.

A separate issue for discussion will be the non-addition rule. The legislation was proposed as a possible solution for residents who have long complained about high noise levels at the airport. The rule would prohibit any new noisy jets from using the airport and has been heavily opposed by businesses at the airport that fear it will have a negative economic impact. The commission is waiting for the results of an economic impact study before deciding on the matter.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Balboa Room of the Airtel Plaza Hotel, 7277 Valjean Ave. in Van Nuys. For more information, call the airport at (818) 785-8838.