48.0°,
Light Rain Gaming parlor opposition continues
Hundreds attended a Carle Place civic meeting on Jan. 21.
Hundreds of residents attended a Carle Place Civic Association meeting last week as a continued show of opposition against a proposed gaming facility in Westbury.
The Jan. 21 meeting allowed residents to express their concerns to representatives of Nassau Regional Off Track Betting, who were also at the forum, regarding the agency’s proposed video lottery terminal at the Source Mall.
A week earlier, more than 1,000 people met in St. Brigid/Our Lady of Hope Regional School in Westbury for a community meeting to learn more about the proposal and voice their opposition. While last week’s Carle Place gathering was smaller, the mood was no less passionate.
On Jan. 26, residents also swarmed to the Nassau County Legislature’s full meeting to protest the proposal.
Nassau OTB is still in contract negotiations with the owners of a vacant space inside the Source Mall, which most recently held a Fortunoff, to establish a video lottery terminal of no more than 1,000 machines.
Many local elected officials attended last week’s Carle Place civic meeting to commend the persistence of residents who have voiced their opposition, and encouraged them to continue mounting pressure on OTB officials to choose a new location.
Since the proposed facility is exempt from local zoning, the only body with jurisdiction to block the proposal is the New York State Gaming Commission, which oversees regional OTBs.
But the lack of authority has not stopped residents from speaking out. “It is the residents of Carle Place and Westbury that will determine their fate,” said John Hommel, the president of the civic association. “Not the OTB.”
Arthur Walsh, who has represented the OTB at community meetings, said the agency will take note of the community’s input as they move forward with the process. He added that once contract negotiations are complete, and their application is sent to the Gaming Commission, the commission’s approval agency will have the final say on the proposal.
Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, who headed the forum at St Brigid’s, said he sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Jan. 22, urging him to become engaged in the process.
