This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

An Overt, Orchestrated Effort

Regarding Patricia Santoro’s May 12 letter “Dishonesty Overflowing,” I find the recent effort to discredit and attack Branford Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) Chair Dan Shapiro and Wetlands Enforcement Officer Diana Ross appalling and an ominous sign of the direction that is being taken by some public figures in our Town Hall to undermine the professionalism and effectiveness of the IWC and our other key commission, the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Branford has been blessed with some very dedicated and knowledgeable public servants who have served voluntarily on our commissions and as professional staff of the town, protecting the long term interests of the town without political interference—until now. The current effort to discredit these dedicated figures with claims of conspiracy and fraud is reprehensible and part of an overt, orchestrated effort to move the Costco development project to approval at all costs.

Even those many Branford residents who advocate having a local Costco should be seriously concerned when the developers and the promoters within Town Hall are willing to methodically gut our long-serving commissions and town staff just to achieve this end!

Shapiro and Ross have done absolutely nothing improper in their handling of the Costco applications and in their interactions with the town’s peer review consultant. Review consultants hired by town commissions are meant to act as an extension of the expertise of the staff and commissioners for large time-consuming applications. Their work is a collaborative team effort. Communication—give and take—is a proper part of that effort. Hired consultants are not meant to act totally independently of the commission and staff.

To suddenly call it conspiracy and fraud when stated findings and opinions appear to be trending contrary to an application is mean-spirited and transparent in its motivation.

Peter Hentschel

Branford

Peter Hentschel (D) is a District 2 RTM representative.