The Warwick City Council gave second passage Monday to the abandonment of portions of Strawberry Field Road, Murray Street, Bunker Street & Fieldview Drive to allow for the construction of an airport berm and sound wall.

That passage, however, did not come without stiff opposition from members of the public, with four residents speaking against the project and saying that approval needed to be held for more information.

The berm and sound wall is being constructed to try to help protect residents of that area from the impacts of a new cargo facility that RIAC is building south of the terminal in an area previously used for long term parking. Though the FAA said that RIAC was not required to build the berm and wall, the city and RIAC worked out an agreement for the latter to build it.

At previous meetings, RIAC representatives said that should the abandonment not be approved, RIAC would build the sound wall regardless, but it would have holes in it for the streets, reducing its effectiveness.

No representatives of RIAC were present at Monday’s meeting, which irritated residents and one councilmember.

“I actually find it offensive that the Airport Corporation is not here in attendance this evening, and that is quite concerning,” Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur said. “Are they not here because they don’t want to address any more questions, or are they not here because they just feel it’s not necessary?”

Residents also shared their concern about the cargo facility, saying that the wall would not help with additional impacts besides the sound, such as the constant smell of jet fuel and other air quality measures.

“I’ve spoken to many of the residents over in the Strawberry Field West location, and they’ve mentioned a lot of concerns to me,” Ron Hawkins, a Ward 3 resident, said, calling the council’s action a “rubber stamp” to RIAC. “Not everybody is on board with it. Not even close.”

Ward 3 Councilman Tim Howe, who led the way on the passage of the berm, told Hawkins that councilmembers’ votes should not be taken as support of the cargo facility or of RIAC, which he compared to a neighbor building an ugly shed barely on their side of the property lines.

Other councilmembers also made their dislike of RIAC clear, with Ward 2 Councilman Jeremy Rix saying that while the city was the airport’s host, it was in a parasitic relationship.

“This item that’s in front of us right now, whether we vote in favor of it or reject it, that cargo hangar and the like is going in there regardless — we have no control over that,” Rix said. “So if I were to make a symbolic vote against the airport, it would be a symbolic vote — it wouldn’t actually affect anything like that. What it would affect is the little bit, the something instead of nothing, that the city and Councilman Howe negotiated.”

Resident Michael Zarum, a former member of the TF Green Air Quality Committee with experience in the aviation and engineering fields, called into question whether there was nothing the Council could do about the air cargo facility, which he said would have a negative effect on air quality and noise throughout the city.

“The zoning does apply — in state law and FAA regulations,” Zarum said. “The City Council says they can’t do anything about it — that’s not true.”

Zarum, who could not attend the meeting, criticized councilmembers for relying on Howe, whom he claimed had misleading information, and said that the berm could be built on RIAC property without the need for the abandonment.

Ward 9 Councilman Vincent Gebhart, who had previously voted against the abandonment when it was seeking first passage, said that though he remained skeptical about the berm, he believes it is better to get a fully built berm than one with holes in it.

“Having my questions answered satisfactorily, I will support this this evening — not enthusiastically, but in support and solidarity with my colleague who has done his work on this.”

The berm received second passage in an 8-1 vote, with Ladouceur dissenting.

In other council business, Tammy Bouchard Baker was named to the Planning Board, Olivia Cabral, John Dickerson and Michael Jarbeau were appointed to the Harbor Management Commission and Joseph Jussila was appointed to the Historical Cemeteries Commission. Only Jussila’s appointment required confirmation; he was approved unanimously.