Anyone with something to say about the potential rezoning and casino at the Nassau Coliseum can make their voice heard at the Hempstead Town Hall on June 10 at 10:30 a.m.
After a two-part hearing May 27 that totaled nearly six hours, the town board unanimously voted to continue the hearing June 10 to allow further community input on the potential rezoning of the Coliseum and adjacent Marriott Hotel property from a mixed-use district to an integrated-resort district.
The zoning change would allow for the potential construction of a controversial casino on the property should one of the three downstate gambling licenses up for grabs be granted to the property’s developer. Who that developer may be is still up in the air after the Las Vegas Sands, the current leaseholders that were previously backing a casino on the property, pulled out in April. Now it’s up to them to find a third party to take over development of the area.
The town has not provided a comment on whether any decision will be made on the rezoning at the June 10 meeting, but has said it is likely that representatives from Sands will speak to provide additional information to the public.
At the May 27 meeting, those in support of the rezoning and casino frequently identified themselves as labor union leaders and members of the business community. They said they wanted the measure to pass because of the union jobs it would bring and the emergence of a more happening area with the potential to encourage young people to stay in the environs.
Those against the rezoning frequently described themselves as nearby residents concerned about the negative social impacts of gambling, the safety of students at the nearby high school and colleges, increased traffic, health concerns, the fact that the new developer remains unknown, and the potential financial drain it could have on the community.
Alongside the potential gambling facilities, the rezoning would allow for restaurants, hotels, retail establishments, supermarkets, spas, health clubs, theaters, a convention center, cultural facilities, medical offices, hospitals, senior care facilities, emergency services center and other similar institutions, according to the town.
Over 90 people spoke at the May 27 meeting with 39 in favor of the casino rezoning and 51 making comments against it.
Those who wish to be heard at the June 10 meeting must sign up to speak beforehand. Anyone who would like to provide written comments is can submit their words into the record at any point before June 10.
