"Land
use laundering" is the ploy used by local Oregon governments
to facilitate casino expansion without accounting for the impacts
on land planning as usually is required by zoning and other land use
processes. (Oregon
Land Use Laundering
1/31/07)
It
is a five-story casino-hotel served by a tiny fire district that doesn't
have enough firefighters, or a ladder truck that can reach above two
floors. Gov. Ted Kulongoski and his staff missed an opportunity earlier
this year to address fire safety concerns when they renegotiated the
state's casino compact with the Grand Ronde tribes. Local and state
fire officials weren't even asked to comment on the compact. (12/28/06
- Oregon casino not safe)
Florence City Council unanimously endorses Mayor Burns' letter
to Governor Kulongoski. 7/7/03.
With just two days' notice, 250 people attended the City's public
forum to express their concern about the casino on March 5, 2003.
Of the 52 people who spoke, 42 were from the Florence area and 10
were from the Coos Bay area or Oregon City. Over 75% of those who
spoke stated they were opposed to a casino in Florence. (A copy of
the forum videotape is available from Campbell Productions in Florence,
Oregon)
The casino developers asked the Governor to drop a lawsuit that challenged
their right to build a casino in Florence. Over 1,200 signatures were
collected by volunteers in just over three days. The petitions expressed
opposition to a casino in Florence, and asked the Governor to continue
with the lawsuit opposing it. After receiving the petitions on March
6, the Governor announced he would continue the lawsuit.
PACT delivered another petition, signed by
over 2,300 people, mostly from the Florence area, to Governor
Kulongoski which clearly shows that the people in Florence believe
a casino will cause irreparable harm to our community.
The City of Florence created a Citizens Task Force to identify areas
of "local concern". Their October 2003 report can be viewed
at: Florence Citizens
Task Force on Casino Impacts
“We do not believe that a tribal gaming facility which is designed
to create losers can make Florence residents winners. ... it is important
for the BIA and tribal officials to know that a significant segment
of the community does not want to see a gaming facility of this type
here, and likely, that segment constitutes a significant majority.”
(City of Florence, Letter to Bureau of Indian Affairs, page 7,1/17/96)
Community members continue to expound the detrimental effects of
casinos in letters opposing a casino in
Florence.
"... It is hereby ordered that Lane County supports the use
of the property (Hatch Tract) for cultural and historic purposes,
subject to adequate provision for appropriate public services and
adequate resolution of any land use conflicts, and it is further ordered
that at this time Lane County cannot support the use of the property
for economic development on the basis of inadequate information to
permit a more informed response." (Order No. 97-2-19-8, Lane
County Board of Commissioners, 2/7/97)