Commission Still Hoping to Bring Restaurant, Flight School to Mansfield Airport

MANSFIELD, MA —A restaurant and flight school could still come to the Mansfield Municipal Airport, it's just a matter of finding someone to sign on, the Airport Commission said last week.

Commission Chairman Carl Lambrecht told the selectmen Wednesday night that Pilgrim Aviation was in negotiations for a contract, but another flight school appeared at a recent meeting and gave a presentation, leading to Pilgrim to walk away from a potential deal.

"They thought we were going to rubber stamp it. Because we didn’t accept the offer immediately, they backed out," Commission Vice-Chairman William Walker said.

The airport's new building also has restaurant space, but the commission said that they received no responses for a recent request for proposals.

The commission was called in by the board on the heels of some concerns and recent announcements that some members would not seek another term. Lambrecht told the selectmen that he was leaving at the end of his term due to work and family commitments.

The commission was also asked about the possibility of increasing in numbers, with the selectmen noting that other local commissions have more than five members. A change would require a Town Meeting vote.

Image via Town of Mansfield