Finally on Friday, Mayor Frank Picozzi got what he has been asking for — a face-to-face meeting with Rhode Island Airport Corporation president and CEO Iftikar Ahmad. Although, the mayor says, RIAC Board Chair Jonathan Savage did all the talking.

The result is that Picozzi is willing to proceed with a memorandum of understanding over the construction of a $100 million air cargo hub south of the Green Airport terminal when RIAC shows 70% design completion of a rotary on airport property that would enable tractor trailer and delivery trucks to access the cargo facility from the Airport Connector, thereby avoiding local roads. Picozzi is also looking for that proposal to gain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval.

“It got heated at times,” Picozzi said of the 30-minute meeting hosted by Gov. Dan McKee at the State House and attended by RIAC and city staff members and House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. Picozzi contends RIAC “hasn’t been honest (with what it intends to build or the level of activity it will generate) from the beginning.” Reflecting on his choice of words, Picozzi said RIAC “hasn’t disclosed” what it plans to build. His case in point is that he learned, and later confirmed by a RIAC representative, that FedEx aims to use the facility as a distribution center, meaning fleets of distribution vans would be using the facility.

“It would only make sense they would sort it there and send it out,” Picozzi said.

Shekarchi called the meeting “productive,” adding, “I’m glad they’re sitting in a room talking … the way to get things resolved is through face-to-face meetings.” He applauded the governor for hosting the event and sees the meeting as a means of “restarting” a positive relationship between RIAC and the city.

Picozzi said he took heat for questioning what RIAC has planned with the RIAC delegation observing they have had good relations with past mayors. Picozzi said he responded, “I’m not a past mayor.”

He said RIAC officials reasoned the airport is an economic boon to the state. He said he represents the residents of Warwick and their quality of life and “they (RIAC) just don’t get that.”

In addition to the mayor, the city delegation included city solicitor Michael Ursillo, City Planner Thomas Kravitz and principal planner Dan Geagan. RIAC lobbyist Bill Fischer and attorney Joseph Rodio represented RIAC in addition to Savage and Ahmad. The governor’s chief of staff, Antonio Afonso Jr. was also in attendance.

From the outset, Picozzi has supported the air cargo hub, based on RIAC projections it would generate two additional flights a day, but wanted guarantees tractor trailer trucks would not use either Main Avenue or Post Road to access the facility. His issue is that the vehicles would detract from residential developments in City Centre and the vision of making it a pedestrian friendly area. A Main Avenue access would funnel traffic into Greenwood and the Greenwood Bridge.

While that concern and the request for a sound barrier to shield residential properties on Strawberry Field Road West and the surrounding neighborhood were raised during the planning process, guarantees were lacking from the Environmental Assessment approved by the FAA.

In August, the city hired Steve Taber (of the Pasadena, California law firm of Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl), who specializes in aviation law and has previously represented the city to file for a review of the Environmental Assessment (EA), which put the matter in court. Picozzi pressed for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would ensure the traffic is diverted from local roads and that the sound and visual barrier would be built.

RIAC returned with an MOU that Picozzi labeled “a joke” since the project hinged on board approval and sufficient funds. RIAC returned with a revised MOU that Picozzi initially said met his demands. He later changed his tune when he realized it didn’t include delivery vehicles. He asked for an amendment, but the RIAC board moved ahead and approved the MOU in an executive session without public discussion.

Where does it go from here?

The city has yet to get a response for an extension of its review of the EA. If that doesn’t happen conceivably the city would have to present final argument s without seeing 70% completion of a rotary or some other means of keeping air cargo traffic off city roads.

“I don’t care whether it’s a rotary or a ski jump,” Picozzi said of a plan for trucks to directly access the Airport Connector. He said he plans to meet with FedEx and UPS “and see the details.”

While Picozzi acknowledges there is little he can do if FAA gives its stamp of approval to the project, he is hopeful of gaining guarantees on the wall and traffic.  And he is grateful for having met with Ahmad and Savage.

“Kudos to the governor for getting us all in the same room,” he said.

RIAC issued the following statement: “We appreciate Governor McKee’s efforts to bring all parties together.”