Though the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has finally released its reasoning behind the casino process, the anti-casino movement just keeps gathering steam.
The board, in a 113-page decision released Feb. 1, explained why it chose the SugarHouse and Foxwoods casino plans, citing their location and potential benefit to the community as reasons why they were selected over three other designs.
The board said that SugarHouse, to be located along North Delaware Avenue in Fishtown, and Foxwoods, slated for construction along Columbus Boulevard in South Philadelphia, will be easily accessible to Center City residents while providing a boost to development along the Delaware River.
Opponents, however, were unswayed by the group's reasoning, vowing to continue the fight both through legal means and by possible legislation in City Council.
Councilman Frank DiCicco, the Democrat whose district includes both the SugarHouse and Foxwoods sites, is receiving funding from Council to hire an attorney to fight the decision in court.
A lawyer is expected to be hired by the end of the week, DiCicco legislative aide Brian Abernathy said.
Council will also be paying for DiCicco to hire a traffic consultant to make the case that putting two casinos on opposite ends of the Delaware riverfront will cause a transportation nightmare.
Abernathy expects a consultant to be named by the end of the month, adding that "we are still in the opinion that Foxwoods is a terrible site, . [and] that SugarHouse may be too close to residential neighborhoods" in South Philadelphia.
But Doug Harbach, spokesman for the board, said it will be "very difficult for the city of Philadelphia to be able to appeal" the decision to the state Supreme Court, based on past precedent.
At the same time, however, DiCicco is pushing a package of 10 bills through Council aimed at hampering construction by reworking the city's zoning code.
The bills take "a number of different paths with zoning," so that even if certain controversial zoning measures - like banning casinos in Philadelphia - don't get passed, some impediments to casinos will still go through, Abernethy said. They will be going before committee Feb. 21.
Community activists also vowed to continue the fight.
"We haven't given up," said Rene Goodwin, spokeswoman for Riverfront Communities United, which opposes the Foxwoods casino. She added that her organization was unswayed by the board's latest report and plans to testify at the Feb. 21 hearing.
"We know the reality that these are not the best sites," no matter what the board might say, Goodwin said.
But Harbach begs to differ.
"Anyone who reviews the adjudications would see that the reasons for the selections were done to adhere to the law," he said.
In response to criticism that the board hadn't represented local interests in making its decision, he cited the "numerous" public-input hearings the board held, adding that its decisions "were very sound and were done with a tremendous amount of background and investigative work."
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