By: Mike Caputo
Refusing to back down
N. Lawrence
residents try to stop OTB
By Mike Caputo
A group of angry North Lawrence residents are continuing an effort to block a Nassau Downs Off Track Betting branch from moving into their neighborhood.
On Friday, Jan. 4, a gathering of residents at the proposed site of the Nassau Downs OTB told the Herald that they are hiring a lawyer and plan on applying virtually any legal measures necessary to stop the legal gambling establishment from opening at 711 Burnside Avenue.
"As homeowners, we will exercise our rights as residents of this community," said Lynn Russell, a resident on Lawrence Lane, which neighbors the proposed OTB site on Burnside Avenue.
An expired lease at OTB's current North Lawrence location in the Falcaro Shopping Center has forced the company to search for other options. According to Nassau Downs OTB president Dino Amoroso, the non-profit company has agreed to a 10-year lease with a five-year option to open a new branch at 711 Burnside Avenue, the former site of Universal Auto World.
In December, Amoroso told the Herald that Nassau Downs was still "weighing its options." During a phone interview with the Herald on Monday, Amoroso continued that policy, and said that is still open to negotiations in regards to the lease, which is "not set in stone."
Amoroso introduced the proposal and his company's mission at a Dec. 18th meeting with area residents held in Inwood's Sons of Italy Hall. Residents in the audience did not provide Amoroso a warm welcome, as they pelted him with several questions and critical comments about the Nassau Downs OTB.
Residents in the North Lawrence neighborhood - primarily on Lawrence Lane and Bluth Drive -complained that the OTB would damage quality of life, create safety issues and destroy property values.
During and after the meeting, residents alluded to instances where children and adults have been accosted by patrons of the current North Lawrence OTB. They also said OTB customers have been seen drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and publicly urinating outside the current establishment.
A Nassau County police report revealed that there have only been six reported incidents at the North Lawrence OTB over the past two years. A detective said that all reports were minor and that the location is not a "high-crime area."
Residents informed the Herald of a rumor that the Green Acres OTB location was to close and merge with the proposed new branch on Burnside Avenue. Amoroso denied those rumors and said the Green Acres branch will remain.
"We are not leaving Green Acres," Amoroso said. "It is a very profitable branch."
The residents' unnamed opposition group met for a second time on Tuesday, Jan. 8 at the Buccaneer Club. The meeting occurred after the Herald's press time, but a large audience was expected to attend.
Vincent Spinelli, who spearheaded the unnamed opposition group, wrote two letters to Amoroso. In his first letter, Spinelli reiterated the residents' fears of the OTB moving next door to their homes.
"This means when we go out at night, we will have to look over our shoulders every two seconds," Spinelli wrote. "This is a ridiculous and frightening situation to be in.
While addressing Amoroso, Spinelli continued: "The best thing that you must do is to find another location for your OTB business - one that is not butted up to residential homes."
Comments about this story? Mcaputo@liherald.com or 516-569-4000 ext. 210.
