Top story #2: Casino debate period ending
- Casino protesters planned a big rally today to highlight their demands that more time be allowed before any proposals are approved, so that more community input can be had and their largest concerns addressed. The event brought together a number of local groups that had previously been working separately, which may auger more substantive actions ahead.
- One of the largest concerns of neighbors of the proposed casino sites is unmanageable traffic. Planners have retained experts and produced hefty piles of analysis, but neighbors fear they'd be the losers if city planners didn't follow through on the construction required or if traffic flow from casinos and other new development swamped the available street capacity.
- The Inquirer editorial page joins the fray, arguing that improvements to the I95 access points should be moved up, even before any final casino location decision is made, lest residents face several years of snarled traffic on tiny side streets before new ramps are finished.
- In a lighter vein, D-Mac notes that Pittsburg casino planners took a more direct route to gaining community support: they hired poor folks to pack their public meetings with friendly faces. heh.
posted by ACM at 2:34 PM
4 Comments:
I see the "the street is my personal parking space" crowd is set to try and derail yet another project that can bring more tax receipts, good paying jobs and improved neighborhoods to the city. The short-sightedness makes me want to scream.
I think their major issue is with "improved neighborhoods." 24-hour neon displays and search lights aren't everybody's cup of tea...
Are 24 hour lights any worse than living next to Roosevelt Blvd or any of the other major roads here or living near huge swatches of abandoned and deterioriated property or near the stadiums or airport or the colleges or around constant gun violence?
Let's face it, many homeowners in this city think they own the street in front of their house. They don't or won't park in their own driveways or use their garage for something other than a place for their car.
Rare is the instance when the local civic groups, confronted with a request for a new business or development, doesn't use parking or traffic problems to object. I'd bet these same people are the ones complaining the loudest about high taxes and bemoaning the loss of businesses to the surrounding 'burbs. They are the ones making for an inhospitable climate for new business.
Pittsburgh isn't the only place applicants for a PA gaming license is paying for community acceptance. Trump has been doing exactly that around the proposed TrumpStreet. And while traffic is a major issue it is not the only one. Think 24/7 activity including serving acohol. Imagine those happy happy people driving on your community streets sloshed.
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