Airport neighbors should get their chance to comment in early April on a nearly-complete Environmental Assessment on proposed expansion of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, a draft of which the FAA is expected to complete around the end of February, according to Tweed's new executive director.

"We're hoping to have approval to publish" the draft, "hopefully by the end of next week," Tweed Executive Director Tom Rafter said Friday. "We're targeting a very early April public meeting date."

Ultimately, the Environmental Assessment process — which the Federal Aviation Administration requires — will result in either a "finding of no significant impact," or "FONSI," or a requirement that the proposed expansion go through a more extensive Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, Rafter said. Read More

As Connecticut lawmakers debate how to spur more apartment development — while weighing tenant rights versus those of their landlords — new federal estimates show the state continues to make incremental gains in adding apartments, but with a ways to go as the state prods more towns to welcome developers with blueprints for big projects.

Connecticut municipalities landed Connecticut among the top 10 states last year in issuing permits for apartments in buildings with at least five units, as a subset of overall housing approvals tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau. About 49 percent of Connecticut's 5,160 permits last year included in the Census study were slated for larger apartment buildings, well above the U.S. rate of 38 percent. Read More

Sachem Financial announced today that it will be releasing an education program to support small and medium-sized businesses. The program, designed by the University of New Haven's Pompea College of Business, will be offered at no charge to businesses that attained either the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) or Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. This program delivers content to best prepare business owners and operators for long-term sustainability.

Program participants will be exposed to many of today's business challenges, including inflation, supply chain disruptions, and a tight labor market. In addition to current topics, participants will perhaps gain a deeper understanding of how to read financial statements, create a sustainable budget, and how to create a financial plan for future expansion. Read More