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Here is an action alert from Hallwatch and NABR:
Senator Vincent Fumo is pushing an amendment to the Gaming Act that would take away the City's right to set and enforce zoning and safety rules on casinos. Fumo's amendment would also strip residents of their right to be heard on the design and operation of the casinos at a zoning hearing.
What this means in practical terms:
* Residents will have no opportunity to challenge inappropriate or intrusive designs that violate zoning laws.
* Nor will residents be able to use zoning to negotiate with casinos over operational issues (think drunk drivers & the availability of free booze 24/7).
* Gaming Board employees from Harrisburg with no safety experience will enforce fire, building and zoning codes for the Philly casinos.
* The City will not be able to set its own zoning rules for casinos. Instead it will have to rely on the Gaming Board to enforce a minimal zoning code far below city standards (e.g., no set backs
required, just 1 parking space for every 10 visitors, giant flashing signs allowed etc.)Please take five minutes to send a fax to State Senator Vincent J. Fumo NOW. Let him know you think this is a bad idea. I've set up a web page that makes the whole process easy:
http://www.hallwatch.org/faxbank/fumozoning And this from NABR:
Want more details? Here are some highlights to the amendment SB 862:
+ An alteration to a key definition that would allow the state’s zoning preemption, and PCGB regulation, to apply not only to casino sites, but also to any property “ADJOINING, INCLUDING CONNECTION BY A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY, BRIDGE OR EASEMENT, TO THE LAND-BASED LOCATION OF THE LICENSED FACILITY.” + Increase the allowable gross floor area of a gaming facility, so that a 400,000 sq ft site could have 4.8 Million sq ft of floor area (i.e. it could go up high), an area twice the size of King of Prussia Mall. + Reduce the parking requirements from 4 spots per 5 slot machines to 1 spot per 10 “seats” (and not all slot machines will be sit-down) Still want more?
Click here to read Mark Levy’s newest writing on the issue: Big Changes to Slots Law Advancing to Full PA Senate |
