Massachusetts Gambling Commissioner: Betraying the 'intent' of the legislation?
From: Casino-Free Milford
"Some communities don’t want the casino, and think that by playing hard to get they might be able to block the casino. My advice would be that’s a bad strategy," Crosby said Tuesday night. "The developer might win (the license) and if you’ve missed the opportunity to negotiate mitigation, that’s a real problem."
Gaming Commission encourages cooperation within communities
HOPEDALE —
Surrounding communities are entitled to an assessment of a nearby casino’s potential impact, but Stephen Crosby, chairman of the state Gaming Commission, has made it very clear that they will not have the ability to block one from moving to the neighborhood.
"Some communities don’t want the casino, and think that by playing hard to get they might be able to block the casino. My advice would be that’s a bad strategy," Crosby said Tuesday night. "The developer might win (the license) and if you’ve missed the opportunity to negotiate mitigation, that’s a real problem."
More than a dozen town and state officials from Hopedale, Upton, Mendon, Bellingham and Milford gathered at the Community House for a presentation by Crosby and Ombudsman John Ziemba on the casino-licensing process, schedule, obligations and rights of host and surrounding communities.
"It’s a tough line to walk if you don’t want the casino at all, and emotionally and practically, it’s hard to try to defeat it and negotiate an agreement at the same time," Crosby said. "But this is a line surrounding communities have to think about very carefully and strategically."
While the commission couldn’t specifically discuss the $1 billion resort-casino proposed by FCX LLC at the intersection of I-495 and Rte. 16 in Milford, Crosby and Ziemba offered some advice for the communities that expect a material negative impact from the casino.
Hopedale Selectwoman Sandra Biagetti asked whether nearby towns should take a wait-and-see approach, since officials may not know whether they need to appeal to the commission for surrounding community status until the developer submits a Phase 2 application later this year.
"You don’t just sit tight and wait. That’s the main thing we want to get across tonight," said Ziemba, who along with Crosby encouraged officials to begin reaching out to the developer regarding potential agreements. "It’s becoming a complicated process. I do admit that."
State Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, and state Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, who scheduled the meeting, touched briefly on the schedule as it pertains to Milford.
After Moore noted that Milford officials have yet to see a detailed casino proposal, Selectman Brian Murray said his board at its June 3 meeting expects to "get a good idea" of the progress FCX LLC has made.
"Some communities don’t want the casino, and think that by playing hard to get they might be able to block the casino. My advice would be that’s a bad strategy," Crosby said Tuesday night. "The developer might win (the license) and if you’ve missed the opportunity to negotiate mitigation, that’s a real problem."
More than a dozen town and state officials from Hopedale, Upton, Mendon, Bellingham and Milford gathered at the Community House for a presentation by Crosby and Ombudsman John Ziemba on the casino-licensing process, schedule, obligations and rights of host and surrounding communities.
"It’s a tough line to walk if you don’t want the casino at all, and emotionally and practically, it’s hard to try to defeat it and negotiate an agreement at the same time," Crosby said. "But this is a line surrounding communities have to think about very carefully and strategically."
While the commission couldn’t specifically discuss the $1 billion resort-casino proposed by FCX LLC at the intersection of I-495 and Rte. 16 in Milford, Crosby and Ziemba offered some advice for the communities that expect a material negative impact from the casino.
Hopedale Selectwoman Sandra Biagetti asked whether nearby towns should take a wait-and-see approach, since officials may not know whether they need to appeal to the commission for surrounding community status until the developer submits a Phase 2 application later this year.
"You don’t just sit tight and wait. That’s the main thing we want to get across tonight," said Ziemba, who along with Crosby encouraged officials to begin reaching out to the developer regarding potential agreements. "It’s becoming a complicated process. I do admit that."
State Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, and state Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, who scheduled the meeting, touched briefly on the schedule as it pertains to Milford.
After Moore noted that Milford officials have yet to see a detailed casino proposal, Selectman Brian Murray said his board at its June 3 meeting expects to "get a good idea" of the progress FCX LLC has made.
"I suggest surrounding communities send a representative to the Milford meeting on June 3 because, to whatever extent the proposal is developed, you can start to assess how that will impact you as surrounding communities," Fernandes said.
The commission recently offered a similar presentation for officials from Medway, Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston and Franklin – some of whom Crosby said were "deadly opposed" to a casino of any sorts, but the meeting was productive.
"We made changes in the schedule and process based on feedback from those surrounding communities that enlightened us," Crosby said.
While developers must provide funding to cover technical assistance from regional planning agencies, Crosby said some communities east of the proposed site have discussed hiring their own counsel to better represent them in mitigation.
But Crosby said the agencies have a long history of assessing major development proposals, and they have "no dog in the fight" or reason to sway an evaluation one way or another.
The Gaming Commission will meet on Thursday and will discuss the Phase 2 application deadline.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1039441937/Gaming-Commission-encourages-cooperation-within-communities#ixzz2TPJUjH6r
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