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February 23, 2023

New Tweed parking approved after environmental review

PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED An Avelo 777 takes off for the airline's inaugural flight to Orlando from Tweed New Haven Airport on Nov. 3, 2021.
By Liese Klein

After extra environmental review and public comment, New Haven’s City Plan Commission on Wednesday voted to approve an additional 34 parking spaces on the property of Tweed New Haven Airport.

The vote came as a scarcity of parking remains an issue at the facility – 170 cars were turned away from airport lots over the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend and made to park in an offsite lot, according to Tweed’s operator.  

A vocal group of residents of New Haven and East Haven, which share the airport property, gathered to criticize the addition of the 34 parking spaces, which came on top of a 203-space expansion approved in October. 

Most cited environmental concerns about both the additional parking spots and Tweed’s expansion in general. The airport has greatly expanded capacity in the last year as budget carrier Avelo Airlines has added dozens of new flights to destinations in the South and Midwest. 

In response to the opposition, the commission added a second public hearing and asked for advice from an environmental engineering firm. The consultant found no negative impact from the airport’s parking plan. 

City Plan Commission Chair Leslie Radcliffe said she appreciated citizens’ concerns but said the body was limited in its scope. 

“It is not before us today to decide on whether or not we think the expansion of Tweed New Haven Airport is a good idea,” Radcliffe said. “But I do hear what is being said regarding the impact on the environment.”

The new parking spaces are part of a short-term plan to address the airport’s capacity woes, said Andrew King, a communication and engagement consultant for airport operator Avports. 

“These are temporary solutions and alternatives because the airport is looking to move all of this operation or much of this operation to a different part of the airport,” King said, referring to plans to build a new terminal for Avelo on the East Haven side of the facility and add 4,000 spaces.

“It does highlight the fact that we do need to keep our eye toward the future, and that we're doing what we can to move much of the operation to a different part of the airport that will contain the needs that we have,” King said.

Contact Liese Klein at lklein@newhavenbiz.com.

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