Posted on 09/05/2013 4:52:27 PM PDT by matt04
Town residents are scheduled to vote Nov. 5 on a resolution that would urge the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to reject proposed casinos in Springfield and West Springfield.
The vote is the result of a signature petition drive organized by the group “No Casino Springfield,” said Selectman Alex Grant, a member of the group. The group gathered the required 100 signatures to place the anti-casino resolution on Longmeadow’s Fall Town Meeting warrant, he said.
Casinos are proposed in the South End of Springfield by MGM Resorts International, and on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield by Hard Rock International.
Grant, in a prepared release, said he is convinced that the Springfield casino would be particularly harmful because it would be 2.5 miles away from Longmeadow. He said he heard concerns while speaking to senior citizens, saying they are concerned “that increased traffic could make it difficult for sick and injured people to reach the hospital in an emergency,” he said.
"If I-91 becomes a parking lot during certain times of the day due to heavy northbound traffic, how exactly is an ambulance going to make it to Baystate?" Grant said.
The lead petitioner, Michele Steger delivered the signatures to the town clerk on Wednesday, he said. The state Gaming Commission has stated that support and opposition from surrounding communities will be among its considerations in granting one casino license in Western Massachusetts, and up to three casinos statewide, along with one slots parlor in the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at masslive.com ...
What a coincidence...
Grant, in a prepared release, said he is convinced that the Springfield casino would be particularly harmful because it would be 2.5 miles away from Longmeadow. He said he heard concerns while speaking to senior citizens, saying they are concerned “that increased traffic could make it difficult for sick and injured people to reach the hospital in an emergency,” he said.
Has that ever been a problem in other traffic jams, or did you just make that up?
Having driven thru Longemadow frequently, they are like a mini-Northampton. Full of special people people who should get everything they want, whit no possible interruption to their lives. i.e, my street is bad, I want it pristine but no inconvenience to me due to repaving.
Oh it’ll go through. The folks building these know how to grease the right palms.
I live in Longhetto. Generally speaking, your assessment is correct.
The traffic coming into either casino is being planned with substantial traffic flow adjustments. My guess is that the ride to the hospital will not be impacted that much.
And really, we survive the Big E every year quite well without the bodies being piled up along Route 5.
Personally, I opposed the casino because I think the revenue estimates are way, way off. They are trying to cut a pie into smaller and smaller pieces.
The guy worrying about traffic and the riff-raff are just typical holier-than-thou do gooders. I hate this town. It’s full of people who judge you by the car you drive. I get rolled eyes when I roll through town with a big pick up or a loud motorcycle. Not too many rednecks here.
I was just back their and got to hear my relatives take on it, they think Palmer will get it.
Anyway you slice it between the Gambling, the Pot legalizing / growing they are talking about and the Somali problems, Springfield has nothing on Detroit, I am in the Detroit area, and you have no idea how bad it is...
If they are gravitating to the Pot and Gambling it is all over IMHO for that City...
Palmer makes sense, except it is quite a haul from North Adams/Pittsfield.
In any event, no top shelf entertainment is going to come to ANY of them, unless the bus breaks down between NYC and Boston.
Frankly I hope Springfield does get voted down. The best place in western MA for a casino is Palmer, right off the pike! Springfield is too crime ridden. A lot of people, myself included, avoid it at all cost. In this household, we know the crime would bring itself right to the casino. After all the site is not far from there anyway! Palmer would be much better, it might actually do some business.
But then we stopped going to the casinos when they changed so much, it’s no fun anymore.
Estimates are way off, got to agree with that. Foxwoods and Moheghan Sun in CT are sending CT less and less every month. Last time hubby went down the parking lots were quite sparse. Bad economy,/less people working=less people going.
Same here on both Palmer and the crime problem in Springfield. I went to STCC and on two separate occasions I was diverted to a different student parking lot. Once due to a arson at a nearby crack house and a stabbing or shooting the night before. Thankfully the un-armed campus police were ready to response to any nutcase on campus.
In addition to that, I like many, have to drive through Springfield often. The BigE is bad enough for traffic, I don’t want to see a casino in Springfield OR West Springfield!
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