Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News, Jan 29, 2007.
I’m not sure what the result of this legal action will be and, like any army going into battle, we must have an exit strategy should the situation turn for the worse. That is why I’ve encouraged every community up and down the river to begin negotiating with the operators to create the terms of a Special Services District, address public safety and quality of life concerns, and find solutions to traffic problems.
The State General Assembly never gave Philadelphians the opportunity to vote on this issue and they’ve granted us very little say. However, while I never had a vote on the issue, I have spent the last two years fighting and doing my best to protect my constituents and influence this process.
Through those two years, it’s been a roller coaster of success and failure.
While we successfully maintained local zoning controls over the gaming industry, most still believe that we do not have the ability to choose the locations of those sites.
Because the Gaming Act specifically requires the PGCB to award licenses with consideration to the site of the operator, the City may be preempted from “nullifying” a site through our own local zoning controls.
I have pledged, however, that I will challenge this assertion with local legislation and allow a judge to make the final determination.
The City still maintains land-use controls through legislation that I introduced in 2005, recognizing that gaming was coming, called Commercial Entertainment Districts. These districts create responsible land use controls, guarantee public space and access, control outdoor advertising, limit height and scope of projects, and provide for specific parking and traffic requirements.
The legislation also allows Council to delay the advent of gaming significantly. Whenever a casino wishes to pull a building permit, Council has 45 days to call for public input and has the ability to table or disapprove the casino’s plan. In other words, no casino can pull a building permit without Council approval and public hearings. I pledge to all of you that I will use this power for the benefit of all of our neighborhoods.
Other actions I’ve taken in reference to gaming include:
- Immediately following the announcement of the five gaming applicants in December 2005, I began to organize meetings with neighborhood association presidents and encouraged those leaders to begin discussions with the developers.
- Following those meetings, I attended dozens of public meetings up and down the river to discuss the topic and explain what actions the City was taking.
- In April and June, respectively, I have submitted oral and then written testimony to the PGCB defending our neighborhoods and raising significant concerns about the gaming proposals.
- I have sponsored resolutions calling on the General Assembly and the Gaming Board to extend the public comment period, maintain our land-use controls, hire legal counsel to sue the State should our zoning be pre-empted, delay the PGCB’s decision for six months and to not choose two locations on the Delaware waterfront.
- I have encouraged the Mayor to create the Philadelphia Gaming Commission and have lobbied members of the Philadelphia delegation to Harrisburg.
- I have helped fund both of Casino Free Philadelphia’s trips to Harrisburg and have attended the organization’s forums.
- I have introduced a wide-ranging package of legislation that challenges Harrisburg’s right to determine our neighborhoods’ future.
In short, I have been the only elected official that has consistently been visible on the gaming issue. My message from the beginning has always been that I may not be able to stop the casinos, but we must protect our neighborhoods. I promise all of you that I will continue that fight.
