Aircraft detailing business good to go at Airport
Blizzard response discussed
The Norwood Airport Commission (NAC) gathered last Tuesday, March 3 for a regular business meeting that had been originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 25 but was postponed because of the aftereffects of the blizzard that had rolled through a couple of days earlier that week.
The main item on the agenda concerned the commercial permit application for RealClean Cape Cod, a franchise of RealClean Aircraft Detailing, which has been in business for more than 20 years. As Kurt Wiegers explained it during the pre-approval appointment, his franchise – which is a mobile service – covers southeast Massachusetts and Rhode Island and specializes in the exterior paint revitalization and the interior deep cleaning and restoration of aircraft.
In his presentation, Wiegers noted that part of the service entails dry washing or wet washing, as permitted. “It really depends on what the Airport wants, and what the team wants us to do here.”
Given the fact that the Airport is built in a wetland conservation area, environmental awareness was the primary talking point during what was a brief and uneventful appointment.
Regarding that, Wiegers emphasized the self-contained mobility of his outfit, adding that any materials resulting from RealClean’s detailing work are removed from the job site. “We don’t use the dumpsters here,” he said in conclusion. “We take all of our garbage offsite, as well.”
Responding to a question on this topic from John Corcoran – who was presiding in place of Chairman Michael Sheehan, who had gotten stuck in traffic – Airport Manager Mark Raymond informed him that he had brought Weiger up to speed prior to the meeting. “I told him we don’t allow the washing out on the ramp. He’s going to have to do it in a hangar and he’ll have to coordinate that with one of the two FBOs (fixed base operators) in order to do that.”
Commenting after the meeting had adjourned, Wiegers offered further reassurance regarding the cleaning method that he and his crew will be using at the Airport. “Probably here, we’d dry wash because we would take all of those chemicals offsite. Nothing would make it in the water,” he made clear. “The focus would be around environmental, and we are always focused on safety.”
The meeting’s other appointment had Mark Goodrich – of consulting engineering firm DuBois & King – giving an update on the two active Airport Improvement Program (AIP) projects.
The first had to do with the wildlife/security perimeter fence replacement now underway. “We’re about halfway through that project now,” he said of its progress. “Everything seems to be going pretty well on budget. We’re actually anticipating coming in a little under budget on that.”
The snow did, however, impact the work being done, which Goodrich explained: “We did shut down the project during some of the bigger storms so they could just plow. We didn’t charge them with days for construction, but otherwise we’re on schedule and under budget.”
In his report, Raymond anticipated that this project would wrap up by the end of the month.
Goodrich also gave an update on the AIP project to pave 300-foot-long safety areas at either end of Runway 17/35. “We’ve been coordinating with the purchasing department here in Town and anticipate that we’ll have bids opened in April and apply for a grant on May 1,” he said.
The currently unpaved 17/35 safety areas have led to overrunning aircraft – as well as the heavy equipment brought in to respond to such incidents – getting bogged down in the wetland ground.
Immediately following Goodrich’s project update, the final payment request for the Runway 17/35 design was put through for $57,930.21 – 90 percent of which is covered by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant and 10 percent of which is covered by the Town.
Raymond also commented on the Feb. 23 blizzard and its impact on the Airport. “We were closed for three-and-a-half days, but everybody was good about it,” he said, going back a full decade for a reference point. “We haven’t had anything, I don’t think, quite that bad since 2015.”
The NAC typically meets – when business demands it – on a middle/late Wednesday of the month at 4 p.m. in the Mark C. Welch Administration Building (111 Access Rd.) next to the control tower. For upcoming meeting dates, check the Town website (www.norwoodma.gov), call Town Hall (781-762-1240), or pay it a visit (566 Washington St., Norwood)
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