NEWS

Air cargo impacts questioned

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 1/11/23

Stan Snyzyk has lived on Strawberry Field Road West, across from what is now long-term parking for Green Airport, since the early 1970s. He’s had a front porch seat to growth of the airport and …

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NEWS

Air cargo impacts questioned

Posted

Stan Snyzyk has lived on Strawberry Field Road West, across from what is now long-term parking for Green Airport, since the early 1970s. He’s had a front porch seat to growth of the airport and now it’s likely he’s going to get to see construction of and day-to-day operation of a $100 million air cargo facility.

That’s progress and Snyzyk isn’t suggesting that progress should come to a halt. But he is annoyed by the airport’s self characterization as a “good neighbor” when calls about deteriorating conditions – a torn wind break, trash and the 2:30 a.m. use of leaf blowers to clean the parking lot – go unheeded. And, he asks, why does the airport illuminate the parking lot that it is going unused? He doesn’t get answers.

Snyzyk really didn’t expect answers Tuesday evening as an entourage of Rhode Island Airport Corporation personnel and consultants stood by at a public informational session held in the lobby of the Sawtooth City Hall Annex building. The session held in the round – there were no chairs – focused on a series to displays showing the proposed air cargo operation with a 100,000 square foot rectangular building at its heart. On the south side facing Strawberry Field Road West would be 39 truck bays. Ramp space for six jets is proposed for the opposite side. In between the cargo building and the road, but not extending as far west as Snyzyk’s home, would be a visual and noise barrier consisting of berm topped with a wall.

The purpose of the session was to gather feedback on the impact of the proposed facility as part of an environmental assessment required of the development. Dawn Mineker, PE, vice president of engineering and architecture for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, estimated about 25 people attended the session with some staying for 15 minutes while others lingered to look at the displays and ask questions for more than two hours. She said many asked what the facility would look like. Architectural renderings offered different views including what those on the opposite side of the noise and visual barrier might see.

It was what couldn’t be seen that troubled Michael Zarum and for that matter Snyzyk, too. Zarum, who has closely followed airport developments, wanted to know from consultants if ultra fine particulates from aircraft and diesel truck exhausts had been considered when analyzing the potential impact on neighboring residents. He pointed out that houses on Strawberry Field Road West are in somewhat of a hallow below the cargo facility. He was told projections on the ultra fine particulates were not included in the analysis. Snyzyk didn’t get into the micron size of particulates, as Zarum did. He suggested consultants pay him a visit and run their hand along his car and see what they get.

As outlined at a recent meeting with the Beacon, the facility would replace and enlarge air cargo operations now located at the north end of the field off Airport Road. It is projected to increase cargo jet flights by one or two operations a day for a total of six or seven. According to the proposed schedule for the development, design and permitting of the facility starts this month and would carry through September 2024 at which point construction would start. The facility would be operational by September 2026.

In response to questions, John Goodman, RIAC assistant vice president of media and public relations wrote, “Both FedEx and UPS recently signed a Letter of Intent to utilize a relocated cargo facility. Leases are expected to be executed later in 2023 as the design phase of the project moves forward.”

He added, “the Environmental Assessment will examine the impacts of proposed traffic changes as part of the relocation.”

Why hadn’t RIAC simply expanded the current air cargo operation, Snyzyk asked.

Bryan Oscarman, technical leader for aviation transportation at AECOM, said expansion of the existing operation was considered but – to accommodate what is projected – would have placed operations too close to the crosswind runway and required the removal of the historic terminal on Airport Road. No future use of the current air cargo space has been proposed, but expansion of general aviation has been mentioned.

City concerns with the development have primarily focused on access and egress to the facility. When first proposed, the city objected to the use of Main Avenue. The operation has been designed so that trucks would enter and leave via the Airport Connector.

Snyzyk wasn’t happy although he didn’t know what he could do about it.

“I don’t know the impact until it is done,” he said of the project, “and then it’s too late.”

Air Cargo, airport

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  • RELangseth

    The draft Airport Layout Plan dated May 2020 shows the S1-3 project which has three large jet pads and 15 trailer truck bays in a 53,000 sq ft building where the former passenger terminal is now directly on Airport Road with a large parking lot across Airport Road for more trucks. This is where the geodesic dome was removed. This in in addition to the 100,000 sq ft S1-5 facility discussed at the Sawtooth meeting. Then there is an S2-5 100,000 sq ft facility next to the proposed Sawtooth project and another S3-1 100,000 sq ft facility with an access road to Main Avenue. RIAC told me that the 53,000 sq ft Airport Road project was for "belly freight" but that building is actually the S1-2 20,000 sq ft belly freight warehouse next to the fuel tanks near the hotel on Post Road. Total freight facility being proposed over three phases: 383,000 sq ft of terminal with 53 trailer truck bays. This of course is "not related" to the 500,000 sq ft warehouse being built for Amazon down behind the old geodesic dome area now being converted to trailer truck parking. Was I born yesterday? No!

    Thursday, January 12, 2023 Report this