Officials working to settle on a new airport site may be within five weeks of a decision, having already pared three dozen options to a handful of imperfect finalists.

The board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority yesterday agreed to try to end deliberations on a site for a future regional airport at its June 5 meeting.

The board, which has fractured over site selection in the past few months, agreed to the deadline after discussing whether there should be a backup meeting the week of June 5, whether to limit public speakers to save time and what accommodations, if any, to make for board members whose other jobs prevent them from attending an all-day meeting.

Resolution to those issues will be left to Chairman Joseph Craver, who said a final site choice could be continued to the following week.

"It's going to be important that all the board members be present," Craver said.

Lawyer Paul Peterson, one of nine appointed board members, said the June 5 meeting should start early and end late, if needed, to bring closure to the project.

"Let's try to get it all done in one day," Peterson said.

The site-selection project began in 2002 under the San Diego Association of Governments as an effort to end more than 40 years of debate over replacing the single-runway Lindbergh Field when it reaches capacity.