Setting the stage
Monday’s hearing focused on a draft version of an Environmental Impact Statement, which outlined many planned changes to the area surrounding the proposed location for the project at the Nassau Coliseum site.
The report, written by engineering firm Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, promised more than $150 million in infrastructural improvement funds. This included plans for broadening the Meadowbrook Parkway to reduce traffic, using innovative energy and water systems, and adding large greenery spaces to the campus.
Sands also claimed it would offer financial and program support for local organizations such as education and career programs.
The casino company already partnered with The Family and Children’s Association, a Long Island-based nonprofit organization, and donated $200,000 to create two gambling and wellness centers.
Sands claims its 72-acre proposal would create a variety of permanent jobs at the casino, luxury hotels, and a performance center all part of the planned campus.
It would also add an enormous source of economic stimulus and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax funding for the state.
Critics make their voice heard
The “Say No To The Casino” Civic Association believes that Sands’ report misrepresents the true effects of the casino proposal.
“That’s a lot of wear and tear on our county roads,” one local critic said.
“It’s too big and unsuited for our fragile island,” another added, per News12 Long Island.
The association against the proposal also noted the casino’s proximity to two universities and a nearby high school, and said its projected use of 750,000 gallons of water would draw from an already-low supply.
It went on to claim that the construction and day-to-day operations of the casino would increase traffic in communities and increase pollution in areas that already struggle to deal with emissions and the effects of climate change.
Local officials will wait until the new deadline before they close the window for public comments, at which time they will decide how to proceed.
A total of 11 bidders are in for the three casino licenses that will be made available by NY Gov. Kathy Hochul. Other suitors include Jay-Z, New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, among others.
