Mayor Currently Opposes Tweed Terminal Expansion Into East Haven

EAST HAVEN, CT —East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora will tell residents in his State of the Town address that he will not support the Tweed New Haven Airport terminal expansion plan.

"I am quite sure that my decision will disappoint some, and even create discord with some very influential people, but that is not my concern," Carfora tells the community in his address. "If there is one thing that I have proven as your mayor, it's that I am no shrinking violet, nor will I back down from a tough decision."

Carfora said the "burdens" that the town will have to bear as a result of the expansion to East Haven are vast.

Carfora said that the terminal will bring traffic, flooding, environmental impacts, public safety concerns, operational costs and capital necessities, all "monumental" issues with "potentially irreparable impacts" that "far outweigh any direct, limited economic benefit that that East Haven will gain."

"At this point, I cannot support, nor will I recommend at this point to our Town Council that we accept and support the terminal expansion/move to the East Haven side," Carfora said. "The burdens are too great, and the impact on our community simply too transformative. Those who benefit should shoulder the steep burdens—not the Town of East Haven."

Carfora said his concern "cannot be what fits best for Tweed, New Haven, Yale, or the region." If it doesn't work for East Haven, he said, he cannot support the plan.

"East Haven is also a stakeholder, but our interests simply do not share similar commonality, and I have a duty to protect our community," he said.

Tweed New Haven Airport director Sean Scanlon emailed a statement to Patch Wednesday night.

"We plan to keep working closely with Mayor Carfora to address the concerns he’s raised as this project moves forward. From the moment we first announced plans to grow Tweed New Haven Airport in May of last year, we’ve been focused squarely on growing jobs while also giving the residents of Southern Connecticut more direct flights to more destinations. While our work isn’t yet done, we’ve already delivered on those promises in big ways – adding hundreds of new jobs as well as 13 nonstop flights to new destinations. We couldn’t have gotten to that point without doing extensive work with both Mayor Elicker and Mayor Carfora. New Haven and East Haven have been at the table every step of the way, and always will be. This combined partnership has already resulted in a commitment of $5 million for direct community benefits, and we will remain committed to working with the Mayor and East Haven residents to address issues as they arise.”

See the entire State of the Town address, with a slide presentation, here.

Watch the State of the Town address live on YouTube here.

Carfora's full remarks on Tweed New Haven Airport Terminal expansion

From the beginning, I have approached this project with great care, and paid it every bit of the attention that it requires and demands. I have not, as others have- to make this political, and I never will. Tweed New Haven Airport Terminal East Haven, formally known as: Terminal Alternative 3 Eastside Terminal, is the most transformative project in our town’s history. From a business standpoint, this move works for some. But my view has to be broader than that, and it is. From attending the public hearings, having staff in important briefings and meetings, we have been, and continue to be wholly engaged. I personally have had multiple meetings, phone calls and briefings regarding Tweed on issues from traffic to public safety. Our legal, police, fire, public works and engineering leaders have had meetings to ask specific questions, and when necessary requested additional and supplemental data. I, we, this administration, is handling Tweed as I have everything else, infrastructure evaluation, to budgeting, to our extremely coordinated COVID-19 responses, from the start of my administration. We are consistent, deliberate, and thorough. With each decision, project and each step, we determine what is best for our community long term. And Tweed terminal expansion to East Haven is no different.

I am quite sure that my decision will disappoint some, and even create discord with some very influential people. That is not my concern, and if there is one thing that I have proven as your mayor, is that I am no shrinking violet, nor will I back down from a tough decision. And there may be ramifications as a result, including that they may try to force this upon us.

As mayor of this community, there are things that I can control with respect to Tweed, and some things that I cannot. Runway lengthening, more flight decisions are things that I cannot control, as we all can see those things are happening. Avelo is moving forward with its plans to offer more flights to more destinations.

But those business decisions are made outside of my input and are distinctly different pronouncements than Tweed terminal expansion to the East Haven side. The terminal expansion to the East Haven side is the acceptance of the $70 million terminal to our community, which is one of three options in the master plan. And frankly, the option that the powers that be seem to feel fits best for Tweed and the region. The Avports, Avelo and City of New Haven’s business model is surely driven by the need for flights to desirable destinations. New Haven, Yale and the regions will benefit enormously from the potential economic impact, that is clear. But we as a community do not benefit economically as they will, that is clear.

My concern cannot be what fits best for Tweed, New Haven, Yale, or the region, each stakeholder is making decisions based upon what they believe is in their best interests, and collectively, some undoubtedly have a common interest, and I understand that. East Haven is also a stakeholder, but our interests simply do not share similar commonality, and I have a duty to protect our community.

My concern is that the burden to East Haven that this terminal will bring—traffic, flooding, environmental, public safety, operational costs and capital necessities are monumental, and they far outweigh any direct, limited economic benefit that that East Haven will gain. There is limited tax revenue for East Haven, but the burdens are vast, with potentially irreparable impacts.

Our beach community will be impacted by traffic. We inherited a poorly-designed and continuous flooding quagmire at the intersection of Coe and Hemingway. A design fix that was created by agents of the previous administration, but shut down by the state of Connecticut, because from the very beginning in 2016-2017, it wasn’t going to work. Jonathan Bodwell, our town engineer, continues his attempts to get answers, and we are working hard to get additional funding to clean up this mess. That intersection is not passable on too many occasions. Our wonderful Town Green and the events that are historically held there will be impacted; traffic will flow down Hemingway to our Main Street intersection. For 30 years, we have closed parts of Hemingway Avenue for the events leading to and around our Fall Festival; that would no longer be possible. The burdens on our police, fire, and dispatch will grow exponentially.

There is a position that more flights, and additional operations translate into additional jobs, and to the extent that East Haven residents will be hired that is a positive thing. As I have said, business travel is important to the region. And so is the convenience of flights to desirable vacation and family destinations, but that is not my decision, as indicated I have no input into that.

New Haven is the great beneficiary in this operation. Listen to this: New Haven’s PILOT —which stands for Payments in Lieu of Taxes —money increased last year alone by $50 million. Ours was flat lined at $450,000. You heard that correctly. I am not saying that this is related to Tweed, butI do have concerns about the inequity, and where does it stop.

I have been cordial and inviting from the very beginning regarding the evaluation of this project. I have been willing to listen. But one thing has been crystal clear, and consistent; I have always said that this project will not be placed on the backs of the Town of East Haven, and it is clear that the burdens will.

That’s why I am announcing tonight that at this point I cannot support, nor can I recommend to our Town Council that we accept and support the terminal expansion/move to the East Haven side. The burdens are too great, and the impact at this time on our community are simply too transformative. Those who benefit should shoulder more burden—not just the Town of East Haven. I will be formally presenting a letter to the Tweed Authority in the coming days. We have to look out for the interests of our shoreline community, and the burdens that this terminal, as proposed, will place on us are simply too great."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a change in Carfora's remarks shortly before his address.