From: NoPlainvilleRacino
GUEST COLUMN: Slots pact must address traffic and other impacts
Town has one chance to get racino deal right
Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2012
Whatever we may think about slots, we all want to improve and protect our community. We are now at a critical point that will require more civil and thoughtful discourse with a focus on mitigation. When legislators enacted the gambling law, it stipulated a negotiation process, including an impact study to be paid for by the applicant.
To date, Plainville selectmen have already had four negotiating sessions with Plainridge, despite the fact that no mitigation expert has yet been hired to determine what the impact of slots might be.
Selectmen have gone on record stating concerns about wasting Plainridge's money on expensive studies. In their role as racino boosters, they appear untroubled or dismissive of the potential for added crime, traffic, or the negative impact on quality of life, or about the inevitable increased demand on municipal services. Given the 1,250-car parking garage already under construction, it is safe to assume that traffic will be a primary and immediate impact, with attendant noise and air quality problems to follow.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/vip/opinion/columns/guest-column-slots-pact-must-address-traffic-and-other-impacts/article_c1503831-ece9-5b30-a2c9-22869991e3b5.html#.UH_sgBWpMss.facebook
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