What should be done to make Fair Haven Heights a more lively and well-connected neighborhood?
Ward 13 alder candidates wrestled with that question during a forum on Saturday in the Fair Haven Branch Library, located at 182 Grand Ave. Early voting has already begun, and Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 4.
For nearly two hours, the candidates — Mildred Melendez of the Democratic Party and Paul Garlinghouse of the Green Party — fielded questions about illegal fireworks, car thefts, a vacant former school building, traffic-calming initiatives, and restoring bus service across the Grand Avenue Bridge. Roughly 20 residents attended both in person and over Zoom.
Independent Party candidate Luis Jimenez was not at the debate. Catherine McGuinness, who serves as chair of the Quinnipiac East/Fair Haven Heights Community Management Team (QEMT), said Jimenez didn’t respond to multiple invitations to the forum. He also didn’t respond to the Independent’s requests for comment.
All three candidates are looking to replace incumbent Democrat Rosa Ferraro-Santana, who is not running for reelection.
Melendez and Garlinghouse are both long-time residents of Fair Haven Heights. Melendez, who serves as chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals and co-chair of the Ward 13 Democratic Ward Committee, said she first got involved in public life as the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) President at Wilbur Cross High School. She works as a paralegal for the state Department of Labor.
Garlinghouse is a family law attorney. After allegedly witnessing a judge kidnap his client’s child, he urged Democratic State Rep. Al Paolillo Jr. to stop supporting that judge. “He would not,” argued Garlinghouse, “because the Democratic establishment would not.” His challenge to Paolillo in 2018 marked his entrance into the public sphere. Since then, he’s run, unsuccessfully, for Ward 13 alder once and registrar of voters twice.
On Saturday, when asked about the most important issues facing the ward, Melendez focused on the need for stronger community ties, both among Heights residents and across the city.
“I feel that we’re part of Fair Haven as well,” said Melendez, pointing out that Heights residents patronize Fair Haven’s “restaurants,” “food stores,” and “beauty parlors.”
She encouraged Heights and Fair Haven residents to “take a long walk” to the other neighborhood. It’s about “bridging the gap,” she said, particularly because the Heights, as a quiet, residential neighborhood, lacks Fair Haven’s commercial activity.
Garlinghouse also emphasized connectivity, though focused more on transportation.
“They literally cut us off from buses to downtown New Haven,” lamented Garlinghouse. The route stopped running for two years due to Grand Avenue Bridge being closed for repairs; three and a half years later, the line still does not go back across the bridge. Garlinghouse accused the city and state of eliminating the route without ever soliciting input from Heights residents.
“That’s my number one issue in terms of quality of life,” he said.
Melendez agreed with the need for more bus lines, suggesting that Heights and Fair Haven residents join forces to show CT Transit the number of people who need bus service from and to downtown.
Garlinghouse also raised traffic-calming initiatives as a ward priority, commending the $2.6 million project on Quinnipiac Avenue recently completed by the city. He noted that “a few more” changes are needed, though emphasized that community input would be important for making sure the city doesn’t “throw[] down speed bumps blindly.”
Fereshteh Bekhrad.
Fereshteh Bekhrad, a local developer and long-time Heights resident, implored the candidates to prioritize the Grand Avenue Bridge. Fair Haven Heights is essentially a “dormitory,” said Bekhrad, as it has “very little non-residential activity.” The bridge serves as “an artery connecting us all the way to downtown,” and she urged Melendez and Garlinghouse to consider productive uses near it, especially for businesses.
While acknowledging the need for more affordable housing, Garlinghouse responded, “Business is important, and we don’t have enough.” He said he’s supporting efforts of “some young people” to open a convenience store in the area.
Melendez said the Heights needs to “attract” restaurants as nice as Farm Belly in Fair Haven, though noted that a business’s fit with the neighborhood matters as well.
Aaron Goode.
Along the same vein as Bekhrad, Aaron Goode, a civically-minded New Havener on the city’s Democracy Fund Board, asked what the candidates think should be done with the long-vacant school at 460 Lexington Ave. The city announced in September that they’d release a request for proposals on the property soon.
Melendez said she’d advocate for requiring both the alder and a Heights resident to attend all meetings between the city and future developer. The alder and resident, she argued, would “ensure that our voices are being heard,” that the “historical society piece” is respected, and that the development is “useful for everyone.”
She didn’t propose a specific use for the property, only saying that the development should “fit into the neighborhood” and “be there for a long time.” She recognized an unmet need for more affordable housing, as per her BZA experience. She also said she’s heard interest in having a community space with art and yoga studios.
Garlinghouse said he’d like to see the building preserved, as it’s on a “beautiful piece of land” and a “pretty significant historical” structure. He advocated for turning the building into a community space, so the next Ward 13 candidate forum doesn’t have to take place outside of the Heights.
In a previous interview with the Independent, Garlinghouse said he recognized the need for more affordable housing but didn’t think apartments would make sense at the site.
Whatever it becomes, Garlinghouse said the school is currently in “increasing disrepair.” Passing by the property, he used to notice growing piles of tires, mattresses, and rubbish. He amplified the need for city action through Facebook posts and SeeClickFix.
As alder, he pledged to prioritize complaints on SeeClickFix to ensure that blight is addressed quickly. Plus, he promised, “If [the litter is] small enough for me to pick it up and get it in a can, I will not hesitate.”
For her part, Melendez drives around and notes down blighted areas that require attention. When she reports a problem, she’s found that the Livable City Initiative (LCI) takes action within a day or two.
On the topic, Melendez recounted a lesson she learned from her neighbor on Lexington Avenue: “Sometimes, it’s not blight because they want to. It could be someone’s not well.”
She recalled her neighbor’s house becoming so dilapidated that it looked like “something out of a movie.” But now, after connecting her with LCI and other city resources, she and the owner have become “great friends.” Melendez still checks up on her, confirming she’s O.K. by seeing if she’s refilled the bowl of cat food on her porch.
In addition to common quality-of-life questions related to car break-ins and porch pirates, a few residents were particularly concerned about fireworks.
“One of the negatives in our neighborhood is what happens for the month before the Fourth of July,” complained one woman. She said young men gather in the park and set off loud fireworks, keeping her up all night.
Melendez said as alder, she’d include a blurb in the newsletter, sent four times per year, educating people about the rules related to fireworks and urging them to be courteous to their neighbors. Specific to the park example, she noted that police intervention, including a no trespass notice, might be appropriate.
Garlinghouse agreed that calling the police is an option, though added that ideally, noise would be “something we can address as neighbors or as friends.” He recounted how, when his baby was being kept up by fireworks, he knocked on his neighbor’s door and asked him to cool off the explosions. He encouraged Heights residents to do the same with their neighbors, provided they feel safe and comfortable doing so.