Mayor Took Hard Line On Airport Expansion To 'Protect' East Haven

EAST HAVEN, CT — After the US Supreme Court ruling that set the stage for the expansion of the Tweed New Haven Airport runway, then “rookie” Mayor Joseph A. Carfora said that though the ruling “was of great and particular concern,” he knew that “all reasonable legal challenges have been exhausted.”

And though it was settled, he still held that the expansion “should not be placed on our backs and too often it seems as though everyone overlooks that.”

Carfora soon met with Tweed airport authority head state Rep. Sean Scanlon. He said Thursday that he “kind of felt bad about the way I treated him.”

“East Haven was always on the short end of the stick,” Carfora said. But he said, what was to come following the high court's ruling meant he'd have to make it work for East Haven.

A runway expansion, over time, evolved into a much bigger-in-scope expansion.

The Tweed New Haven Airport $100 million expansion announced Thursday will include a new terminal and new airline. And, it promises to bring 11,000 jobs and some $47 million in state and local tax revenue. Airport operator Avports said it plans to build a "new, carbon neutral-terminal" that expands the existing runway for more direct flights to more destinations. Officials said there will be no cost to local taxpayers.

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When the idea was first brought to Carfora, he was not immediately sold. He said he and the town’s economic development director Ray Baldwin took the Port Jefferson ferry to Long Island to MacArthur Airport in Islip, NY. On the ferry ride back to Connecticut, his mind had been changed.

“I was completely sold,” he said. “Avport is a top-notch company.”

But, and the 'but' is significant, he said, while Carfora was sold on the idea, he said that as meetings moved forward, he “demanded a lot.”

For more than a year, as the plan developed, and with more seats at the table for East Haven, Carfora and members of his mayoral administration fought for the town, he said.

“There is no doubt that we want to be realistic neighbors, but we also want to be valued partners,” he said. “And my first and most important job is to protect the rights and interests of East Haven residents.”

Carfora said the plan, a “project-labor agreement” will being much-needed and well-paying union jobs. He said it “prioritizes East Haven businesses of all shapes and sizes.” Carfora said the planned expansion provides “protections for neighbors, and an Enterprise Zone that extends to the Route 80 corridor.

And importantly, he said, “East Haven’s voice will be heard and valued”

“I wanted the make-up of the Tweed Authority to be reevaluated and this plan will accomplish that,” he said, adding that the “extension of any and all airport business enterprise zones through Route 80 is non-negotiable.”

“My positions might seem harsh to some—my intent was not to be offensive, but to be protective and realistic in our needs. The expansion of this airport cannot be placed solely on the backs of my constituents, and this proposal protects us, while others did not. While all of our views might not align on everything, I do know that I am standing here with a number of people who care greatly about East Haven and its future – and on this project, they were willing to listen to my concerns.”

“We still have a lot of work to do but the groundwork is laid,” he said. “I feel very comfortable and very happy for the residents of East Haven.”

Editor's note: A previous version of this story noted MacArthur Airport was an Avport. It is not and an update reflects that correction.