East Haven Kept In The Dark On Tweed Airport Expansion

Did you know Tweed airport is planning to expand again?

Tweed representatives have spoken about "working cooperatively with East Haven to establish an economic development zone" and lauded their "great relationship" with Mayor Maturo at an April 25 Board of Alders meeting in New Haven. Though the Board of Alders is expected to vote on a resolution in support of Tweed expansion on May 7, legislation is already in Hartford that would remove all restrictions on Tweed's runway length.

Tweed airport and the City of New Haven have introduced a bill that is now on the House floor and will be voted on by May 9th (HB 5537). That bill is a fake community solar plan, containing language that makes it legally impossible for Connecticut residents to choose the planned solar facility as an energy supplier. More importantly, it includes a sneaky one-liner near the end that amends, and effectively nullifies, the Tweed Airport Authority Act.

This also invalidates the 2009 memorandum between East Haven and New Haven, which settled the town's legal battle with the city almost a decade ago and caps Tweed's main runway at 5,600 feet. Though Mayor Harp of New Haven and Tweed officials have promised to only expand to 6,600 feet and inside current fence lines, there is nothing to enforce this limit or stop the airport from the planned expansion to 7,200 feet laid out in its Master Plan.

There has been no official reaction from East Haven Town Hall and there are no community meetings planned in the town. Though one new East Haven member of Tweed's board has just been appointed, none of the town's representatives at the airport have reached out to residents of East Haven.

State Senator Tim Larson, who is also the Executive Director of the airport, has dubbed the solar plan "the Albis idea", though Representative James Albis opposes the runway expansion contained in the bill. As he says, "I proposed the community solar project because I wanted to create an opportunity for East Haven residents to buy in to community solar. The bill cannot move forward in its current form."

In stark contrast, Rep. Roland Lemar is the prime pusher of the bill through the House, having stated that 80% of his constituents support Tweed expansion. Sen. Len Fasano has so far been silent on the issue.

At a "workshop" meeting on Monday in Fair Haven Heights, New Haven officials openly discussed possibilities for routing airport traffic through a new terminal in East Haven (see the photo accompanying this article, via the New Haven Independent). Though this was part of a brainstorming session, it is indicative of the kind of changes which East Haven residents may see if the airport's relentless expansion continues, without any input from the town's people. Sen. Larson expressed similar desires to move the terminal at the April airport board meeting.

East Shore and Morris Cove residents have been resisting the Tweed expansion in isolation from their neighbors in East Haven, and will attend another "workshop" event at Nathan Hale School on Saturday, May 5 (9:30am to noon) organized by Mayor Harp's office.

Given no other options for community input, I feel it's appropriate for East Haven residents to attend, be heard, and actively participate.

New Haven's Board of Alders have, after all, allowed testimony in support of the airport from businessmen as far away as Westbrook, Meriden, and Westport.

Sean O'Brien grew up on Richmond Street in East Haven and now lives in Morris Cove. He may be contacted at sean@webio.me