CLAYTON, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Protesters are angry over a vote taken Monday evening by the St. Louis County zoning board. They've given the tentative green light to a new north St. Louis County casino. But don't place any bets on that new casino just yet. The zoning commission okayed the re-zoning of more than 350 acres of flood plain bordering the Mississippi River in Spanish Lake as the site of the area's newest casino. But this project is a long, long way from reality. The dozens of protesters have one common concern to stop a casino, 18 hole golf course, convention center, and recreation complex from being built on the flood plain bordering a wildlife habitat.
The project, called Riverview Casino, would require massive creation of roads, sewer lines and other utilities in an area that has almost none now. It would also drop the casino smack in the middle of an area used by migrating birds and as nesting grounds for bald eagles.
Dora Gianoulakis, with the Common Sense Coalition, explains, "The Spanish Lake Community Area Study passed in 1999 said no commercial development in this part of Spanish Lake. They're taking a treasure away from not only Spanish Lake residents, but also all people in the county. And taxes are going to go up, folks. Someone's going to have to pay for that infrastructure. There's no roads there. There's no sewers, no sanitation. There's no infrastructure."
Most importantly, right now there's no casino license. The developers have said this project will create 2,500 permanent jobs and thousands more building it. But the developers now have to wait and see if the Missouri Gaming Commission gives them the license currently held by the President Casino.
Protestors promise to come back in force when the full county council considers the recommendation.
The project, called Riverview Casino, would require massive creation of roads, sewer lines and other utilities in an area that has almost none now. It would also drop the casino smack in the middle of an area used by migrating birds and as nesting grounds for bald eagles.
Dora Gianoulakis, with the Common Sense Coalition, explains, "The Spanish Lake Community Area Study passed in 1999 said no commercial development in this part of Spanish Lake. They're taking a treasure away from not only Spanish Lake residents, but also all people in the county. And taxes are going to go up, folks. Someone's going to have to pay for that infrastructure. There's no roads there. There's no sewers, no sanitation. There's no infrastructure."
Most importantly, right now there's no casino license. The developers have said this project will create 2,500 permanent jobs and thousands more building it. But the developers now have to wait and see if the Missouri Gaming Commission gives them the license currently held by the President Casino.
Protestors promise to come back in force when the full county council considers the recommendation.
