Testimony in the federal corruption trial of Shelton developer James Botti focused Monday on the approval process for 828 Bridgeport Ave.
The former chairman of the Shelton Planning and Zoning commission testified Monday that he tried to sway votes in favor of the project at the direction of Mayor Mark A. Lauretti.
It happened in June 2006, after two public hearings and one deliberation meeting were held on a project at 828 Bridgeport Ave.
During initial deliberations June 13, it looked as if the proposal would be denied, former chairman Allan Cribbins testified Monday at U.S. District Court in New Haven.
But one week later, the commission approved the proposal by a 4 – 2 vote.
What happened?
Government prosecutors claim that Botti gave Lauretti cash during that week — buying his influence with members of the Planning and Zoning commission and, ultimately, an approval of the project.
That approval is one of the main focal points for U.S. attorneys as they prosecute Botti on charges of conspiracy to defraud the citizens of Shelton, bribery of a public official and mail fraud.
Building Consensus
The proposal at 828 Bridgeport Ave. sought to bring a bank and two restaurants to a parcel of light-industrial land at the southern end of the road.
Jurors Monday listed to tapes from the two June meetings where commissioners discussed the project.
After the June 13 discussions about the proposal, two commissioners — Cribbins and Karen Tomko-McGovern — appeared to be in favor of the proposal.
To view a PDF of that meeting’s minutes, click here.
Two commissioners — Jason Perillo and Anthony Pogoda — appeared opposed.
And two commissioners — Daniel Orazietti and Virginia Harger — were in the middle, but appeared to be leaning toward denial, Cribbins said.
On the morning of June 14, Cribbins said he received a call from Planning and Zoning Administrator Richard Schultz asking him to call Botti’s land-use attorney Dominick Thomas and Mayor Mark A. Lauretti.
Read about Schultz’s testimony last week here.
Cribbins said Thomas asked him to put the 828 Bridgeport Ave. plan on the agenda for the regular June 20 meeting to help Botti meet timelines for financing.
Lauretti asked Cribbins to “go and see” the two commissioners who were undecided on the project and “see if I could build some consensus to move it forward,” Cribbins testified.
Cribbins said he met with Orazietti and called Harger at work to talk with them about the project.
“I just stated some of the reasons I was in favor of it,” Cribbins testified.
After Orazietti told Cribbins he didn’t have a problem with the proposal, “I figured his vote was then in the positive,” Cribbins said.
Cribbins said he talked up his support of the project to Harger over the phone, “only by stating the facts and my opinion.”
“I believe her words were ‘I could go along with that,’” Cribbins testified.
Thank Yous From Lauretti, Botti
At the June 20 meeting, Orazietti and Harger voted in favor of the project.
To read a PDF version of the minutes from that meeting, click here.
Cribbins said he called Lauretti after the meeting because Lauretti had asked to be kept up to date on the status.
“I had told him it had passed, and he was pleased with that,” Cribbins said.
U.S. Attorney Richard Schechter asked Cribbins if Lauretti congratulated him.
“He said ‘Thank you,’ which is enough for the mayor,” Cribbins responded.
Six months later, on Dec. 23, 2006, Cribbins said Botti knocked on Cribbins’ front door.
“I opened the door to see him and in his hand he had a basket,” Cribbins said. “I said ‘Thank you, Merry Christmas to you and your family, but please don’t do this again.’”
Botti only said four words, Cribbins testified.
“He just said ‘Thank you’ and ‘Merry Christmas’ after that,” Cribbins said.
Gift Certificates
The Christmas basket had a gift certificate for $150 to Il Palio Restaurant in Shelton, Cribbins said.
He put the gift certificate aside and several months later his wife used it to take a friend of the family to the restaurant.
Cribbins said to make himself feel better about using the gift, he put $150 into the collection basket at St. Lawrence Church.
“Thinking back, I should have written a check,” Cribbins said. “I only did it for me, so I could sleep at night because that’s the way I am.”
Cross Examination
Dow started questioning Cribbins at the end of the day Monday.
He asked Cribbins if Lauretti had expressed opinions about other proposals in town. Cribbins said Lauretti does often weigh in on other proposals and listed several where that was the case.
“He doesn’t always prevail,” Dow said. Cribbins agreed.
Dow will continue his cross examination of Cribbins Tuesday morning.
