Passing Of Zoning Ordinance Could Allow For Casino
Plans to build a casino in Wyomissing are slowly moving forward. Saturday morning, the Wyomissing Borough Council approved a zoning ordinance allowing Wyo Gaming, L.P. to build, with restrictions. As WFMZ's Jackie Shutack reports, some of the people against the project are happy with today's decision.Now just a hotel, Wyomissing's Crowne Plaza Hotel could one day host 500 slot machines. Wyo Gaming, L.P. wants to set up shop inside the hotel, Saturday morning, they faced the borough council and angry opponents at a hearing concerning a zoning ordinance.
"When you're cashing people's checks and giving them alcohol, and allowing them to perhaps gamble money that they cannot afford."
Dressed in yellow t-shirts, members of the community action group, "Catch 222," or Citizens Against the Casino Hotel, spoke out against the casino. Many fear an influx in traffic congestion, and that nearby neighborhoods, including Wyomissing Hills Elementary School, would be impacted.
"Our resources while they're wonderful are not significant enough to be able to handle the increase in expenses that I think we'll have to incur to have an infrastructure to support it," said Susan Denaro, of Catch 222.
"Those are not at this time issues for the borough, those will be considered by the commonwealth gaming commission," Borough Council President Jeraldine Kozloff said.
What the council did decide on, they authorized an ordinance that allows for a change in zoning to allow a casino to be built. The ordinance also sets up parameters that Wyo Gaming, L.P. must follow, should they decide to build.
"They did the right thing by making it stringent, and also to protect the borough and the residents," said Jill Mahon, of Catch 222.
"Now we have a restrictive ordinance that's going to create some difficulties in the development phase," explained Frederick Mogel, an attorney for Wyo Gaming, L.P.
From here, Wyo Gaming hopes that the council can work with them to tweak the ordinance's restrictions. According to state law, the borough can't prevent a casino from setting up shop. Borough officials say this is the first of many meetings concerning a possible casino at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Jackie Shutack, 69 News.
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