Posted on: February 17, 2023, 01:04h.
Final up to date on: February 17, 2023, 01:17h.
Many Harmony, N.H. residents voiced criticisms a couple of conditionally-approved charitable on line casino throughout a Wednesday public listening to earlier than the town’s Planning Board.
There are worries over the small venue’s influence on the atmosphere, elevated visitors, and different negatives that include a brand new gaming property and associated companies, in line with the Harmony Monitor newspaper.
The 43,000 square-foot proposed venture on the town’s East Facet would come with a gaming ground, restaurant, and bar, and ultimately might embrace a resort.
150 Signal Petition
An area environmental group which advocates for restricted development, the Harmony Greenspace Coalition, gave board members a petition opposing the deliberate on line casino. There have been greater than 150 signatures on the doc.
The on line casino developer is Andy Sanborn. He’s an ex-New Hampshire state senator and owns the Harmony On line casino, an present charitable gaming venue in downtown Harmony. He’s additionally proprietor of Harmony’s Draft Sports activities Bar & Grill.
Judith Kurtz, vice chairman of the Harmony Greenspace Coalition, offered Planning Board members quite a few police experiences between 2018 and 2022 related to The Draft Bar & Grill.
There have been 131 police calls on the Draft through the four-year interval. Some 61 have been associated to crimes or assaults, she stated.
Kurtz and different residents additionally fear if the on line casino and linked companies have been to fail.
This can be a short-sighted resolution for bringing in new income,” Thomas Sideris instructed board members. “When the novelty and the novelty wears off, what’s the Sanborn group going to do?”
Cassie Raymond moreover nervous in regards to the enhance in visitors.
“I do business from home and I’m on the roads extra typically than different individuals in the neighborhood who commute to work and again,” Raymond stated. “I’ve considerations about occasion parking letting out and the overflow of visitors onto Loudon Highway. There’s no gentle at that intersection and other people will probably be taking dangerous strikes to get out of there.”
Another audio system on the assembly assist the venture given the projected job development and tax income. Some look ahead to the charitable donations to authorized non-profits that will probably be produced from on line casino income.
As a charitable gaming operation, 35% of gross income from the on line casino will probably be despatched to authorized charities each 10 days.
Authorities, Not Casinos Ought to Fund Non-Earnings
Despite the fact that the on line casino, if authorized, will probably be donating to charities, one resident really helpful that nonprofits not get funds from playing, however from metropolis and state authorities.
I’m fully disillusioned that we now have laws that permits casinos. We’re higher than this,” Tim Robson stated. “We shouldn’t be funding charities and assist providers that needs to be paid for by common taxes. It’s corrupting and it’s a regressive taxation system.”
Below present plans, the on line casino’s first part, which was given conditional approval in January, is to incorporate a 24,000 square-foot gaming room. It could have 634 seats and an 8,500 square-foot restaurant and brew-pub. The bar and eatery would be capable of seat as many as 150 friends. A future part would come with a resort and occasion heart.
Beforehand, Planning Board members really helpful extra plantings, grasses, and bushes to be positioned on the proposed on line casino grounds.
There have been so many residents wanting to talk on Wednesday that the Planning Board prolonged the general public listening to to March 15.
On the subsequent listening to, city officers will focus on entry to the on line casino complicated for emergency automobiles.
Harmony is a few 58 miles southeast of Lebanon, the place one other New Hampshire charitable on line casino has been proposed.
