Now that's FUNNY!
Most of the patrons at a SLOT BARN are LOCAL -- look at PARX.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Developer says slots plan would 'improve' traffic in Millbury
Sgt. Donald Desorcy speaks about the traffic impact of a slots parlor proposal during a Planning Board public hearing Monday night. (T&G Staff/BETTY JENEWIN)
MILLBURY — Development of a proposed slots parlor at McCracken Road near Route 146 would include traffic mitigation measures that would improve traffic conditions compared to today, a consultant for developer Mass Gaming & Entertainment told the Planning Board Monday night.
Architectural and engineering consultants presented plans for the physical design and traffic flow of the 110,000-square-foot casino. The project would require a special permit from the board for the commercial overlay district.
Planning Board member Michael Georges recused himself from discussion and voting because he serves as general counsel to a building supply company that may bid on the project, which would represent a conflict of interest.
Also, voters at a townwide referendum Sept. 24 would need to approve a host community agreement for developers to proceed to the next license application phase with the state Gaming Commission. The slots license application deadline is Oct. 4.
Mass Gaming & Entertainment is vying with proposals in Leominster, Tewksbury and Raynham for the state's sole slots casino license.
"When we talk about level of service, we're not making it worse," said Robert Michaud, from MDM Traffic Consultants, about traffic mitigation plans. "There would be fairly significant improvements."
Not everyone in the two-thirds-full high school auditorium bought the rosy outlook.
Planning Board Chairman Richard E. Gosselin had to tell one heckler to listen respectfully to the developer's presentation.
The developer proposed widening ramps to and from Route 146, synchronizing traffic lights and widening the McCracken Road bridge, with lanes and shoulders added suitable for bicycle traffic, among other improvements. These would shorten vehicle queues from Route 146 and those exiting the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley by 30 percent at peak Friday and Saturday evening times, Mr. Michaud said.
Mr. Michaud said that 90 percent of the traffic would come from Route 146 — 75 percent from the north and 15 percent from the south — while 9 percent would come from Route 20 and Greenwood Street, with less than 1 percent coming from other local roads.
His presentation drew laughter from the audience when he said that traffic at peak times turning left from Greenwood Street would increase by less than 10 percent. Casino traffic would be most heavy between 6 and 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Mr. Michaud said.
Millbury Police Sgt. Donald Desorcy, speaking as acting chief while Chief Kenny Howell is away, said, "Many concerns that we have, they have somewhat addressed."
Sgt. Desorcy said that from his experience with mall traffic, with extensive backups especially at holiday shopping times, he thought that extending and widening lanes, as proposed by Mass Gaming & Entertainment, would improve the flow.
"Every intersection is like a funnel. If you can extend that funnel, so more traffic can go through that intersection safely, that is imperative," Sgt. Desorcy said.
Chief Howell wrote in a letter that his research with other communities' experience with crime and traffic from casinos found conflicting results. However, he said that there would be increased traffic and public safety demands, and the town needed to support more police staffing and a public safety building to accommodate growth. He also recommended installation of optical traffic light systems to allow emergency vehicles to pass through intersections.
Several McCracken Road residents expressed concerns that the proposed mitigation wouldn't do enough. Some suggested that the road become a dead-end cul-de-sac to prohibit more cut-through traffic.
One McCracken Road resident questioned the impact of lighting from the casino's rooftop parking lot. Others said that the community didn't have enough information about the slots parlor details and impacts.
Chantal Royer-Haig said, "It seems to me in a month's time, there are a whole lot of things to consider. I feel like we're being rushed into a decision."
After more than three hours, the Planning Board continued the meeting to 7:15 p.m. Aug. 26 in the high school auditorium. The Planning Board was still hearing testimony after 10 p.m., and the casino debate was going on outside the high school even before the hearing began.
About a dozen people stood holding "Yes" signs distributed by the casino developer.
One sign-holder, John Leonard of Millbury, said he supported the slots parlor for "the jobs … it would be a lot more attractive than the salvage shop that's there now; and obviously you have revenue coming into the town."
Speaking of the construction opportunities, Mr. Leonard said, "We have so many people in the building trades in Millbury, we need the jobs."
Former Selectman Brian Stowell said he was spearheading a group of casino supporters. "Basically, we want to get the facts out there, the hard numbers," he said, referring to financial benefits to the town.
Across the driveway from the "Yes" sign-holders, Darin Haig, a licensed mental health counselor from Millbury, handed out No Slots in Millbury pamphlets.
"We can't find any independent studies — other than what Rush Gaming is putting out — that show this is good for the town," he said. "We're concerned there's been no information out there for an educated vote. The fact of the matter is there are no positive social aspects of this."
Mr. Haig said he worked in his counseling practice with people who have gambling addiction, alcohol addiction and other impulse-control conditions. He said that slots, in particular, are dangerous to people with those types of addictions. Slot machines, he said, give "the same kind of rush in the brain that a cocaine addict will have. The social perils are enormous."
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130812/NEWS/308129584/1116
PARX, the proposed partner of Raynham Dog Track is the epitome of SLOT BARNS:
Parx, The McDonald's of Gambling Addiction and Child Abandonment Comes to Raynham
The McDonald's of Gambling
For proof, head to Bensalem, where Parx - formerly called PhiladelphiaPark Racetrack - made $400 million last year. Impressive for a not-spot plopped among strip malls.
Inside the smoke-filled slots box, much of what casino bosses took for granted has changed. Gone are the days of wooing "whales" and dissing grannies in fanny packs. Parx president Dave Jonas says his revenue comes almost exclusively from local low rollers.
"We underestimated significantly how many trips our customers were going to make," Jonas said at last month's Pennsylvania Gaming Congress in Valley Forge.
"When I was in Atlantic City, to have 12 to 15 trips out of customers, they were VIPs," Jonas said. At Parx, "it's not uncommon for us to have 150 to 200 trips."
Moderator Michael Pollock, a well-regarded casino analyst, paused to digest the statistic.
"You said 150 to 200 times a year," he repeated. "That's three to four times a week, essentially."
"Yes," Jonas confirmed, most of his players fit that profile. In fact, because Parx players tend to live within 20 miles of Street Road, many go even more frequently."We have customers," Jonas boasted, "who give us $25, $30 five times a week."
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