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Van Nuys Airport Specific Plan / Citizens Advisory Committee / Forensic Audit / Economic Study / Noise Mitigation / Community Benefit Program

Council File 23-1339

Introduced
2023-11-29
Last changed
2026-05-18
Status
closed
Expires
2026-02-20
Mover
IMELDA PADILLA
Second
NITHYA RAMAN
References
Related Council Files: 22-1127; 05-2286

Brief

Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Nithya Raman introduced a motion to establish a new Specific Plan for Van Nuys Airport that includes creation of a Citizens Advisory Committee, a forensic audit of airport finances, an economic impact study, noise mitigation measures, and a community benefit program. The motion was approved by the Planning and Land Use Management Committee in February 2024, concurred by the Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee, and adopted by full Council on February 20, 2024 by a vote of 13-0-2. The file remains active with ongoing community impact statements from neighborhood councils through May 2026.

Full summary

Council File 23-1339 directs the Department of City Planning (DCP), with assistance from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), to develop a new Specific Plan for Van Nuys Airport — replacing a zoning ordinance adopted nearly 18 years ago — and to convene a Citizens Advisory Committee to provide community input throughout that process. Introduced by Councilmembers Imelda Padilla and Nithya Raman in November 2023, the motion builds on a prior Council instruction from March 2023 (CF 22-1127) and sets out a detailed policy agenda for how the new Specific Plan should be shaped. The substantive directives are wide-ranging. The plan is instructed to incorporate a forensic audit of airport finances to assess VNY's self-sufficiency, evaluate dependence on FAA grant funding, and reconsider the existing airport land use map. It should also define criteria for economic studies examining the airport's cumulative regional impacts, local workforce composition, and the split between revenue reinvested in airport infrastructure versus broader community benefit. On environmental grounds, the plan must address noise and jet blast mitigation through sound barriers between the airport and adjacent homes and businesses, green space on both the east and west sides of the property, and tree planting. New Request for Proposal criteria must align with the city's long-term carbon reduction goals, including grey water systems and electrified hangars and ramps to cut ground-operation emissions. The plan is also directed to establish a formal community benefit program, explore potential FAA land-use reclassifications to non-aeronautical uses where environmental justice concerns warrant it, and commit to ongoing stakeholder and resident engagement. The Citizens Advisory Committee is to include at least one resident or stakeholder from each of Council Districts 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with an option for council district staff participation. An amendment added Council District 12 to that membership list before final adoption. The motion was referred to the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee and the Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee in November 2023. After a January meeting cancellation, PLUM approved the motion as amended on February 6, 2024; the Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee concurred on February 8. The full Council adopted the item on February 20, 2024 by a vote of 13-0-2. Six neighborhood councils — Lake Balboa, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Greater Toluca Lake, North Hills West, and West Hills — submitted supportive community impact statements before adoption, and additional statements from Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Bel Air-Beverly Crest, and Reseda neighborhood councils followed through May 2026, reflecting sustained community interest in implementation.

Activity (22)

  • 2026-05-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Reseda Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-04-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.
  • 2025-12-11 Community Impact Statement submitted by Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-03-17 Community Impact Statement submitted by Studio City Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-03-12 Community Impact Statement submitted by Bel Air-Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-02-21 Council action final.
  • 2024-02-20 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-02-16 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 20, 2024.
  • 2024-02-08 Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee concurred with the Planning and Land Use Management Committee action.
  • 2024-02-06 Planning and Land Use Management Committee approved as amended .
  • 2024-02-06 Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 8, 2024.
  • 2024-02-02 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on February 6, 2024.
  • 2024-01-24 Community Impact Statement submitted by West Hills Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-01-22 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Hills West Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-01-19 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Hills West Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-01-18 Community Impact Statement submitted by Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-01-16 Planning and Land Use Management Committee meeting cancelled.
  • 2024-01-15 Community Impact Statement submitted by Encino Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-01-12 Planning and Land Use Management Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on January 16, 2024.
  • 2023-12-12 Community Impact Statement submitted by Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council.
  • 2023-12-06 Community Impact Statement submitted by Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council.
  • 2023-11-29 Motion referred to Planning and Land Use Management Committee; Trade, Travel, and Tourism Committee.

Documents (53)

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