Cooke: Why “Where’s Costco” Signs Being Removed in Branford

BRANFORD, CT - Wayne Cooke is claiming, in a letter to state officials, that the town of Branford is systematically waging a campaign to have hundreds of signs removed he has placed all over town which targets what he claims is unfair actions taken in a plan to build a Costco on land owned by his family.

In the past few weeks scores of signs - on state roads - that say such things as "Where's Costco;
"Town Hall Fraud," "Town Hall Corrupt," have been taken down. Cooke said he has evidence (see photo) that the state has taken the signs down at the direction of Branford town officials, including First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove.

Cosgrove could not be reached for comment for this story.

In a letter send to Joseph Giulietti, Commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, Cooke, owner of the land that Costco was eyeing for a store in Branford, says, in part:

“The attached letter was sent to Supervisor Joshua Bauchmann of the Branford DOT maintenance garage asking that his personnel refrain from removing our informational signs from the roadway and return to us the signs that they have already confiscated.

“In a recent phone conversation with Mr. Bauchmann, it was confirmed that Branford First Selectman James Cosgrove ordered our signs removed from the road, not because of their highway placement, but because of their informational message of “Town Hall Corrupt” and “Town Hall Fraud.”

“The fact that signs of various organizations and commercial entities (see attached) are allowed to remain in the same locations in which our signs are removed, and that during election season signs of all shapes and sizes are allowed to remain in these areas for nearly three months, confirms our belief that there is a double standard at play here and we are being unfairly singled out.

“We were informed by Mr. Bauchmann, as well as the supervisor of the Guilford DOT garage Anthony Castaldi, that we would be contacted by a gentleman named Jason from the DOT permits division to discuss this matter, but, as of this writing, we have not heard from him. In the meantime, our signs continue to be targeted and removed by Branford and Guilford DOT workers, while hundreds of other such signs remain in place.

“In light of the clear abuse of authority and violation of first amendment rights being imposed on us by First Selectman Cosgrove, and the discriminatory and unfair confiscation of our signs, it is asked that you intervene in this matter.”

Sincerely,
Wayne Cooke

Cooke, the owner of Hilltop Orchards in Branford has also filed a new lawsuit against town officials in Branford seeking a trial and monetary damages over the failed Costco development plans.

Cooke has filed a civil lawsuit against Inland Wetlands officials.

In his lawsuit, Cooke is seeking: a trial by jury; monetary damages; attorney's fees and costs; and "such other relief as may pertain law as equity."

The suit is alleging "violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and a civil conspiracy to violate plaintiff's civil rights."

It isn't the first time Cooke has sued town officials over the Costco plan - he took former First Selectman Unk DaRos to court after Costco pulled out of the project in 2011.

Cooke has said both the current and past administrations, trying to derail the project and lost interest, again.Cooke said the Branford officials' actions caused him to "sustain damages" and that the town acted with "malice" towards him.

The conceptual plans for Costco submitted years ago called for developing about 44 acres of land between Route 1 and East Industrial Road off I-95. The proposal includes five properties.

Plans called for a 158,070 square-foot Costco warehouse on about 22 acres owned by Cooke and the Cooke family. Six commercial buildings were slated for construction on 16.5 acres owned by Charles E. Weber Jr. and Al Secondino. One building was proposed on a 1.73 acre site owned trustee Peter G. Mandragouras. Other property owners are involved in the PDD.

Costco announced in February 2017 that it was no longer interested in Branford.

Cooke has also created a website https://branfordfraud.com/ to detail developments in the ongoing fight to bring Costco to town.