Southington business sues town claiming harassment

A Southington-based sign maker is suing the town and its building inspector for treatment that company officials claim constitutes harassment.

Sign Pro Inc. is seeking monetary damages in excess of $15,000 from the town and Jeff Pooler, Southington’s building inspector.

The 28-page lawsuit, which was initially filed in April at New Britain Superior Court, was transferred last month to U.S. District Court in Hartford.

Much of the focus of the lawsuit is related to how town officials allegedly treated Sign Pro as the company expanded into a property near the company’s headquarters at 60 Westfield Drive, near I-84. Owner Peter Rappoccio started the business in 1990.

Rappoccio alleges that town officials allowed rival companies to install signs that didn’t comply with municipal ordinance while deliberately delaying approval of the paperwork Sign Pro needed to do work for its clients. That gave the rival companies an unfair business advantage, he said.

When Rappoccio complained, he alleges in his lawsuit that town officials delayed and interfered with an expansion project Sign Pro had undertaken.

The company purchased a property at 161 Canal Street in the town’s Plantsville section in 2020 in order to develop a 15,000 square foot equipment storage building.

Town Manger Mark J. Sciota and the office of the corporation counsel, did not respond to requests for comment.

The building, which is located less than a quarter mile from Sign Pro’s headquarters, is now in full use.

“If you have a problem with something we’re doing, let’s sit down and talk about it,” Rappoccio said. “But you don’t wait until the building is complete and then spring it on us at the last minute.”

He said Sign Pro officials do business all over the country and for the state of Connecticut.

“We pride ourselves on know what the rules are and following them,” Rappoccio said.