NEW HAVEN — Residents in the city's Morris Cove and Annex neighborhoods should be compensated for Tweed New Haven Regional Airport expansion through the creation of special "airport impact zones" that would lower their tax rate, mayoral challenger Shafiq Abdussabur said.
Mayor Justin Elicker responded by accusing Abdussabur of "pandering to people with unrealistic proposals," and said lowering taxes on the East Shore would mean raising them elsewhere in the city.
Abdussabur, a retired police sergeant and former Beaver Hills alder, is one of three people challenging Elicker for the Democratic mayoral nomination in a Sept. 12 primary, along with Tom Goldenberg and Liam Brennan.
He also called for a full environmental impact statement on Tweed's proposed expansion plan, as well as an expansion of the area eligible for home-improvement noise mitigation measures.
"With Tweed New Haven Airport’s expansion looming, those directly affected by the jet fumes, noise pollution, and increased out-of-town traffic must be compensated for the impact on their quality of life," Abdussabur's campaign said in a release.
"As mayor, Shafiq will work with the Board of Alders, Board of Zoning Appeals, City Plan Commission and the Economic Development Administration to implement a long overdue study to rezone parts of Morris Cove and The Annex as airport impact zones," the release said.
"This would include a lower mill rate compensating East Shore residents for their hardship while following FAA purchase assurance and sales assistance strategies to mitigate any potential impact on property values from the rezoning without putting taxpayers and property owners on the hook," it said.
Absussabur's campaign said he would "be transparent about mitigation measures for the surrounding neighborhood that is negatively impacted by noise and air pollution from the airport," and "will push to expand the number of homes eligible for protective improvements."
"The city will evaluate all residents needing home improvements, and a map of the new radius will be made public," it said.
The draft environmental assessment on Tweed's proposed expansion plan, which includes a proposed 975-foot runway extension, to 6,575 feet, and construction of a new 80,000-square-foot terminal on the East Haven side of the airport, "puts corporate profits over New Haven residents and is a clear case of environmental injustice," he said.
As mayor, "Shafiq will work with Tweed, the community, the mayor of East Haven and environmental and subject matter experts … to produce a new study about the actual impacts of airport expansion," the release said.
Elicker said, "the politically easy thing to do is for all to call for an EIS," but "there's people who want to delay" the project by calling for additional measures "at every turn."
But "it is the FAA's purview," Elicker said. "I'm not interested in calling for things just to garner support ... when that call is meaningless."
In addition, Abdussabur said the "community benefits agreement" associated with the proposed expansion "needs to be redrawn. Out of a $100 million investment, only $5 million is for noise pollution reduction, environmental improvements and traffic calming," to be shared by New Haven and East Haven, the release said.
"The Abdussabur Administration will explore amending the lease agreement with Avports and present amendments to the Board of Alders for approval," it said.
He also called for a full environmental impact statement on Tweed's proposed expansion plan, as well as an expansion of the area eligible for home-improvement noise mitigation measures.
"With Tweed New Haven Airport’s expansion looming, those directly affected by the jet fumes, noise pollution, and increased out-of-town traffic must be compensated for the impact on their quality of life," Abdussabur's campaign said in a release.