Bump in the road for Nassau Casino

                                                                                   

Sands Ad on Newsday website today

 

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's plans for a casino in the Nassau HUB hit a speed bump this week.

The county's Open Space Parks and Advisory Committee yesterday voted against transferring the county's lease with the Nassau Coliseum to the Las Vegas Sands, which hopes to build a casino and resort on the 72-acres Uniondale site. 

OSPAC makes recommendations to the County Planning Commission.

But the Nassau Planning Commission today put off its review of the transfer until April 27, saying it needed more information, including an environmental review.

The county legislature will make the final decision on whether to approve a lease for the casino. Lawmakers can ignore or accept the OSPAC and Planning Commission recommendations. Usually -- but not always -- the legislature accepts the committees' advice.

Whatever happened  at OSPAC -- a very non-transparent though public committee -- is hazy right now.

OSPAC was created in 2001, after Nassau voters approved an environmental bond act to purchase open space throughout the county. It was written by then Nassau Legis. David Denenberg, a Merrick Democrat.

                                 

From Nassau's Miscellaneous Laws

The members have two year terms and are not paid.                                         

Reports are that Blakeman made last-minute appointments to  OSPAC. But his appointees apparently didn't support the casino.

Sources say OSPAC voted three in favor of the lease transfer, two against ,with two abstentions. Or was it two in favor, three against and two abstentions? In either case, that means the proposed transfer went down. Then another source said the OSPAC vote was 5-2 against.

Whichever scenario is correct, the transfer was not approved.

The Planning Commission today did not discuss the OSPAC vote. It quickly adjourned the issue, requesting additional information from OSPAC.

This all comes after Newsday reported yesterday that Hofstra University, which opposes the Casino, filed a lawsuit against the Planning Commission for violating the state's Open Meetings law by not properly notifying the public about its first hearing on the Coliseum.

Good luck on that. A lawsuit could be filed on nearly every public meeting in Nassau County government for violating the open meetings law and notice requirements.

But Hofstra has more resources than the average angry community activist so maybe its suit will have legs.

The Sands has hired seemingly every public relations person in Nassau to speed consent. It also has done community events to build support such as bringing in Soccer Star David Beckham for a youth workshop. (see advertisement above which ran on the Newsday website today) And the Coliseum operator has warned that migrants may be housed at the Coliseum if the lease is not transferred.

Affordable housing advocates also have targeted the acreage, probably the most valuable commercial property available in Nassau County right now. But affordable housing would not generate enough tax revenues to pay for all the services required.

The state still has to approve putting a casino at the Coliseum. While Garden City vehemently opposes the plan, construction unions vigorously favor it.

So let's see what happens next..