Foxborough: criticism over handling of casino issue

YOUR LETTERS: Coppola criticizes Harrington over handling of casino issue
Published: Thursday, March 15, 2012

To the editor: There is no reason for the Foxboro Board of Selectmen to hold a meeting next week at the High School except to demonstrate once again that Chairman Larry Harrington is doing the bidding of Steve Wynn and Robert Kraft in regard to a possible casino siting in the Town of Foxboro.

As chairman, Mr. Harrington sets the agenda along with input from the town manager, Mr. Kevin Paicos. So, what is so compelling to prompt Mr. Harrington to call for a selectmen's meeting next Tuesday? Two letters of opposing views on the casino siting process, the second of which had not even been seen by the public at the time Mr. Harrington declared that they must be discussed in an official public forum. There have been a lot of letters in the newspaper in recent months, what makes these two letters so important?

The letter from the "CasiNO" group was written to Gambling Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby to note the 100th day of protest of a possible casino siting in Foxboro. The other letter urged the town to start negotiations with Mr. Wynn and, just by chance (???), the author of the letter happened to be in the audience and was asked by Mr. Harrington to speak. When it was noted that this issue was not on the agenda, the invitation to speak was withdrawn.

It is not the "CasiNO" letter that is of importance, it is the other one. Or should I say the "use" of the other letter as an excuse to hold a public forum to push the selectmen to enter into negotiations for a project that has not even been presented. In December, the selectmen voted 3-2 to send letters to Gov. Patrick, Chairman Crosby, Mr. Kraft and Mr. Wynn announcing that the Town of Foxboro was not interested in being a Host Community for a casino and, therefore, was not interested in entering negotiations with the developer. It was a notice that the peoples' elected leaders of the town do not want a casino in Foxboro ... a casino that is not allowed on Route 1 by the town's zoning by-laws ...to give an answer to Mr. Kraft's statement that if the town does not want the casino, he would not pursue it. The meeting next week is an attempt by Mr. Harrington and the casino proponents to negate the December vote by the selectmen by putting pressure on the selectmen who voted in the majority to begin negotiations, in essence, begin the process of creating a Host Community Agreement.

Why does this matter? It matters because Mr. Wynn has a timetable to meet and he has a "to do" list of things that he must check off as completed. There are requirements with which he must comply before he can apply for a gambling license, one of the requirements being a Host Community Agreement. The board of selectmen is the entity which is responsible for such negotiations and three of the five selectmen have voted not to establish a Host Community Agreement. Beginning negotiations now with the Wynn Group would not benefit the town of Foxboro, but it would put the Wynn Group ahead on its timetable. There is no need for the town of Foxboro to begin negotiations on a project that has been orally and by DVD presented in concept only. How can the town negotiate from a position of strength when the Wynn Group right now "holds all the cards" and is keeping them very close to the vest?

In the last few weeks, Foxboro has seen an onslaught of slick and seductive PR from the Wynn Group to curry favor with the citizens. In addition to the DVD presentation, which actually gave no information but plenty of architectural renderings and promises of enhancements and inducements, there have been an open house and two invitation-only events where attendees were urged to work on the majority of the selectmen to change their minds and their votes on the casino issue. Pressure is being brought to bear and one has to wonder ... if this project is so good for the town of Foxboro, why can't it stand on its own merit? Why must the town be CONVINCED that this is good for the town? Why must Mr. Harrington be so manipulative and abusive in his role as chairman of the Foxboro Board of Selectmen to foster Mr. Wynn's project?

In the last few weeks, Mr. Kraft and Mr. Wynn have literally wined and dined us in an attempt to get their own way and push forward a project that would alter the town of Foxboro and the surrounding communities forever. We have been told by the Wynn Group that this is going to happen, that the state can trump local zoning by-laws, that this project is inevitable so the town might as well give in.

Well, that is not true because it is in the bill that, among other things, the developer must comply with all local by-laws and regulations, the people have a say in a referendum vote, and a Host Community Agreement must be formalized. These are some of the protections put in the bill so that a casino could not be sited in a community that does not want it. And, in addition, Foxboro was pro-active in 2004 in putting a zoning by-law in place that does not allow a casino on Route 1.

The people of Foxboro will decide the future of the town, not Mr. Wynn and Mr. Kraft. They are trying to steamroll the town because they think that we are all rubes ... let's not prove it to them by giving in to everything that they want and following their game plan.

Virginia M. Coppola