Negotiating behind closed doors?
Where has that happened before?
The annual cost to have Mohegan Sun in Palmer was estimated to be $18 million to $39 million by residents who comprised a Study Committee, not including $50 million to bring water from the Quabbin Reservoir.
Never allow the facts to inform your bad decision!
Mohegan Sun vague about traffic plans for proposed Palmer casino
Published: Monday, July 02, 2012
Paul BurnsAmeristar, based in Las Vegas, last month outlined plans for an estimated $50 million road and bridge project off Interstate 291 in Springfield for its proposed casino off Page Boulevard.
The company, which purchased the 41-acre site last year for $16 million, said the project will not entail any taking of homes, businesses or privately owned land. Traffic changes will feature dedicated lanes in the right of way of both sides of I-291.
Palmer Town Council President Paul E. Burns, a casino proponent, thinks Mohegan should release more information about its traffic mitigation plans.
“Ameristar’s already done this. It would be a positive next step for Mohegan Sun,” Burns said.
Traffic is one of the concerns often mentioned by residents regarding Mohegan Sun’s proposal for a resort casino off Thorndike Street (Route 32), across from Massachusetts Turnpike exit 8. Mohegan has a 99-year lease with Northeast Realty on 152 acres there.
Paul I. Brody, Mohegan’s vice president of development, said the transportation plan is part of the host community agreement process, currently under negotiation with the town. Brody said as part of that process, a “non-disclosure agreement” is in place, preventing him from releasing too many details.
Said Burns, “I’m sure if he would ask, the town would allow him to talk about that issue. I don’t think that should be subject to a non-disclosure agreement. The sooner we get details the better it would be for everyone to understand the scope of the project and the impact on the community.”
Brody said everything will be made public in time, and more information about traffic plans may be released in the fall.
He said they envision an extension of exit 8, with a separate lane coming off the exit into the casino, and another lane bringing traffic back onto the turnpike. The lanes would lead directly to the casino through a “flyover” ramp.
Mohegan Sun executives, left to right, Paul I. Brody, Mitchell Etess, and Charles F. Bunnell, discuss plans for a Palmer casino.Local traffic would enter the resort on Thorndike Street, but he wasn’t sure exactly where access would be. Emergency vehicles would enter on Breckenridge Street.
Connecticut-based Mohegan has been discussing the flyover plan since it first unveiled the project in 2007. At a meeting this spring, representatives maintained that the flyover can be built.
State Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Verseckes said Friday that an interchange must connect to a public way. While the interchange connects to Thorndike Street, the lanes Brody discussed would filter directly to the casino.
Verseckes could not comment on the Mohegan proposal because nothing has been submitted.
The project will entail road widening on Thorndike Street, Brody said, adding Mohegan’s traffic engineers are studying intersections near the site. There may be changes in signalization, or the need to add another traffic light, he said. The ramps onto and off the pike will likely be expanded as well, Brody said.
A state law allows the gaming commission to license up to three casino resorts in different geographic zones including one for anywhere in the four counties of Western Massachusetts.
Ameristar is the only other announced plan. There is talk about additional proposals for downtown Springfield; one, in the North End, would include the site of The Republican building.
Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said he thinks Mohegan is waiting until the proper time to divulge more project details. RKG Associates of New Hampshire is representing the town in the host community agreement negotiations.
“I’m confident they’ll find a way to make it work. Nobody goes to spend $500 million on a casino that they’re going to have traffic jams and backups on,” Blanchard said.
Brody said they do not want to release so many details that they would give their competitors an advantage.
“We’re keeping some of those cards close to the vest,” Brody said.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/mohegan_sun_vague_about_traffi.html
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