The Los Angeles City Council approved a controversial Van Nuys Airport lease Tuesday.
Bonseph Helinet Aviation Services sought a five-year lease with possibly extending for up to 25 years, for 4.22 acres of land and 17,253 square feet of office and hangar space at the Van Nuys airport.
In a 11-2 vote, the City Council OK'd the five-year lease.
Council members Imelda Padilla and Hugo Soto-Martinez opposed the lease, and their colleagues Traci Park and Heather Hutt were absent during the vote.
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With the lease approved, Bonseph Helinet -- composed of HelinetAviation Services, the Castagna 1998 Trust and Bonseph Holdings Van Nuys Inc. -- will be able to seek entitlements for a $26 million redevelopment project at the site, including two new 30,000-square-foot hangars, 15,000 square feet ofterminal/shop space, 72,000 square feet of renovated ramp areas, among other improvements.
In closed session, council members voted separately 8-5 to settle lawsuit filed by Bonseph Helinet, which sued the city after the council rejected the lease back in March.
Proponents of the lease say it would bring economic growth to the area, however, others worry about increases to noise and air pollution.
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“There must be no additional expansion of the Van Nuys airport,” one homeowner said at an open town hall meeting.
“I am woken up regularly through my double pane windows and white noise machine,” said another.
This is the second time the lease has come before the city council.
In March, the City Council rejected the lease after environmental concerns were raised by San Fernando Valley residents who live in proximity to the airport. Council members also cited concerns with the request for proposal -- or bidding -- process, also known as an RFP.
The council's action prompted a lawsuit by Bonseph Helinet, which accused the council of violating the City Charter by failing to act on the lease proposal within 30 days -- instead waiting more than 15 months after the lease had been approved by the city's Board of Airport Commissioners in 2022.
The company also accused the city of overstepping its authority over Los Angeles World Airports, a proprietary department overseeing LAX and VNY.
