Court Upholds Tweed Expansion Approval
A Washington, D.C. federal appeals court has upheld a 2023
environmental approval of Tweed New Haven Airport’s long-planned expansion —
providing a key victory for the airport’s efforts to build a new terminal and
an extended runway.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed down
that 18-page decision on Tuesday in the case Save the Sound v. Federal
Aviation Administration.
Click here to
read the decision in full.
The underlying case stemmed from a 2024 appeal filed by the
local environmental nonprofit Save the Sound and the Town of East Haven.
The petitioners had sought to challenge the
FAA’s finding in December 2023 that Tweed’s plan to construct a new
terminal in East Haven and extend the airport’s main runway by nearly 1,000
feet — which was first announced in 2021 — would have no significant
environmental impact on the surrounding area.
The FAA found that the airport’s expansion would
actually reduce the number of “enplanements” — and, therefore, air
pollution — near the Morris Cove regional airport. That’s because the demand
for increased air traffic at Tweed will result in more flights no matter what,
the FAA predicted. As Judge Gregory Katsas wrote in Tuesday’s decision, “With
the runway extension, the FAA projected that Tweed would see fewer flights with
more passengers per flight due to the use of full-capacity 737-800s. … Without
the extension, the FAA projected more flights with fewer passengers per flight
due to the reduced capacity.”
Save the Sound and East Haven pushed back on how the
environmental assessment (EA) was conducted, the data it used, and the
conclusions it came to about how a larger airport and a longer runway will have
no significant environmental impact. Oral
arguments in the case took place in a D.C. courtroom in December 2025.
And in April of this year, East Haven promised not to appeal
the appeals court’s decision — after
the state pledged to send tens of millions of dollars the town’s way. State
lawmakers signed
off on those Tweed-deal dollars in May.
Tuesday’s decision, meanwhile, upholds the FAA’s December
2023 environmental approval and rejects Save the Sound’s and East Haven’s bids
for a more thorough environmental review.
“In sum, the FAA reasonably defined the project, addressed
its possible environmental effects, discussed measures the Airport Authority
would take to mitigate such effects, and concluded the project would have no
significant environmental effects,” Judge Katsas wrote.
“Under Seven County,” he continued, “we must determine
only whether the agency acted within a broad range of reasonableness. Because
the FAA did so here, we deny the petitions for review.”
Mayor Justin Elicker, the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority,
and the private airport management company Avports celebrated the court’s
decision in a Tuesday afternoon press release.
“The court has affirmed the FAA’s environmental review
process for the East Terminal project was comprehensive and complete,” Elicker
is quoted as saying in that press release. “This is a positive sign and
important step forward towards providing a modernized, regional airport that
better serves our residents and the region. The time has now come for us to
move forward with the other necessary approvals for this project in a manner
that adheres to the joint memorandum of understanding that was signed by all
parties earlier this year.”
“The Court has recognized that the FAA’s process met the
standards required under NEPA, and we will continue to work closely with the
FAA as our project progresses,” airport authority Chairman Robert Reed is
quoted as saying in that same press release. “We will also continue to work
closely with our municipal partners, ensuring that local oversight and
community input remain central throughout this process. HVN’s overarching goal
will remain advancing the project responsibly and in full compliance with all applicable
requirements at the local, state, and federal levels.”
“We look forward to earning approval through East Haven’s
local process, and we intend to meet its highest standards every step of the
way,” Avports CEO Marc Ricks is quoted as saying in Tuesday’s press release.
“The Town of East Haven and its Planning and Zoning Commission play an
essential role, and we’re committed to a transparent, collaborative review that
respects local oversight and community input. Alongside our partners in East
Haven and at Connecticut DEEP, we’ll continue to advance this project responsibly,
with real environmental stewardship at its core.”
In a separate email press release on Tuesday, East Haven
Mayor Joseph Carfora acknowledged the court’s decision — and stressed that the
decision “does not constitute final approval of the proposed airport expansion,
nor does it resolve the numerous state and local reviews and permits that
remain necessary before the project may proceed.”
“Today’s decision marks the conclusion of one phase of this
process, but it is far from the final chapter,” Carfora is quoted as saying in
that press release. “Numerous state and local permits and approvals remain
outstanding. Connecticut DEEP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of
State Traffic Administration, the East Haven Inland Wetlands Commission, and
the East Haven Planning and Zoning Commission each have important and
independent responsibilities under their respective statutory and regulatory
authorities. Every remaining review must be conducted on its own merits and in
accordance with the laws governing that agency’s jurisdiction.”
“Tweed Has No Shortage Of Problems”
Katsas’ decision on Tuesday also details why the airport has
for so long tried to expand.
“Tweed is one of the most underserved airports in the
country,” the federal judge wrote. “In September 2021, the only airline flying
there stopped doing so. As of late 2023, only one airline had stepped in to
fill the void—a short-haul carrier called Avelo.
“Tweed has no shortage of problems, but two are relevant
here. First, its only active runway is too short. At 5,600 feet, it cannot
accommodate the weight of full-capacity flights on one of the most common
passenger planes—the Boeing 737-800. To comply with the runway’s current weight
limits, Avelo must reduce the capacity on such flights from 189 to 162 seats.
Second, Tweed’s passenger terminal is undersized and outdated. The existing
terminal was built as a hangar in 1980 and then converted to a passenger
terminal. It is cramped, inefficient, and prone to flooding.”
Thus the airport’s bid to extend its runway by roughly 1,000
feet and construct a new passenger terminal.
All the while, some
airport neighbors have continued to speak up about concerns with air pollution,
noise, and traffic resulting from a busier Tweed airport, which is
currently home to two commercial airlines — Avelo and Breeze — which fly dozens
of direct routes out of New Haven.
Groton retirement community secures $304M financing for major expansion project
A Groton continuing care retirement community has secured
$304.2 million in financing to fund a major campus expansion that will add 265
new senior living units, according to an announcement.
Chicago-based investment bank Ziegler said it recently
closed the tax-exempt bond financing for Fairview’s Vista Point project,
calling it one of the largest senior living tax-exempt bond deals completed in
Connecticut.
The expansion will be built on about 20 acres of undeveloped
land on Fairview’s 70-acre campus and will include 193 independent living
units, 44 assisted living units and 28 memory support units, along with
amenities including dining venues, a fitness center, indoor pool, performing
arts center, walking trails and underground parking.
According to Ziegler, the financing will pay for
construction of the project, refinance Fairview’s existing debt, fund debt
service reserves, cover a portion of interest costs during construction and pay
financing expenses.
At the time the financing closed, about 70% of the project’s
independent living units had been pre-sold, according to Ziegler.
The project previously received approval from the Groton
Planning & Zoning Commission. Fairview CEO Billy Nelson said in a statement
released by Ziegler that the next step is breaking ground on the project.
A construction timeline was not provided.