State wants city to cover agency's parking.

Byline: Mary E. O'Leary

Jul. 27--NEW HAVEN -- State legislators are putting the onus on the city to come up with a solution to the potential high cost of parking for state Connecticut Mental Health Center workers, possibly by giving a piece of taxable land to the state.

A last-minute vote at the General Assembly just added another complication to the Yale-New Haven Hospital Cancer Center and its ancillary development projects planned for the medical campus in the Hill.

Sen. Toni Harp, D-New Haven, said she worked with state Rep. Patricia Dillon, D-New Haven, to get the votes to convey about two acres of state land along the Route 34 connector on the east side of the Air Rights Garage to the state Department of Mental Health and Addictive Services, rather than the city.

For 20 years the city has indicated an interest in the potential future development of this parcel as it looks to reclaim the Route 34 extensionfortaxableuses,although plans are further along for the land west of the Air Rights Garage.

Harp said the purpose was to give leverage to the Department of Mental Health and Addictive Services as it looks to control parking costs for the 600 Connecticut Mental Health workers that it covers as part of a state employee contract.

"Is it more important to have free parking for people than to grow jobs and taxes in our city?" an incredulous Kelly Murphy, city economic development director, asked when told of the reason behind the conveyance. She said they were not approached by the legislators.