Earlier today, it was announced that the Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. (NROTB) decided to give up on its plan to build a mini-casino venue in Westbury. It also promised that it will look for another location for its project.
The decision came after residents and officials filed a lawsuit against this undertaking.
Arthur T. Walsh, the agency’s attorney, pointed out in a statement from earlier today that they were utterly convinced that the local regulator would give its approval for the site. It seems, however, that the pressure from residents and officials was too great. Due to this, NROTB’s management decided that the Fortunoff location is no longer consistent with the agency’s business strategy.
There have been debates about the new location and the list with potential sites includes Belmont Park, Nassau Coliseum, Jones Beach, etc. The NROTB has previously considered the possibility to locate its venue at the Race Palace in Plainview, but neighbors of the property raised their objections and this plan, too, was abandoned.
Yesterday, residents of Wesbury, North Hempstead, and Hempstead, as well as local associations filed a lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court against NROTB’s plan to purchase the Fortunoff property.
According to Kate Murray, the use of the afore-mentioned property would have violated a law concerning the construction and launch of Off-Track Betting facilities in the town.
Under the law in question, slot machines cannot be installed anywhere near a residence. Yet, the OTB officials claimed that the New York State law freed them from any town laws.
Officials from North Hempstead and Westbury stated similar reasons for their objection to the launch of the mini-casino venue. Representatives from the so-called Winthrop-University Hospital shared that a gambling venue in the area would increase the traffic and, thus, slow ambulances. And this, in turn, might risk patients’ lives.
On Monday, residents demanded from the legislature to consider a Democratic proposal for the appointment of new OTB board members – people who would object to the construction of a slot machine parlor in Westbury.
Norma Gonsalves, R-East Meadow, who is taking the position of a Presiding Officer, did not call the proposed bill for a vote, since it was not likely to gather enough support. As it was reported, this announcement enraged locals.
Legislator Richard Nicolello commented that if they had voted to remove the current board members, that would have killed the chances for the mini-casino to be built anywhere in the county. He also pointed out that a slot parlor in the region might not be such a bad idea and it should be given a chance.
Gonsalves refrained from publicly taking position until Thursday, when she announced that she did not support the construction of a new gambling venue. She said it was quite clear that an agreement could not be reached between locals and the NROTB. This means that the Off-Track Betting agency will have to take into consideration people’s will and to drop its plan to locate its venue at the former Fortunoff property.
