Nassau County Executive Expresses Opposition To Casino At Former Fortunoff Site
WESTBURY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano took to Twitter on Monday to announce he's against the casino-style gaming parlor proposed for the old Fortunoff site in Westbury.
"While I have no jurisdiction over the matter and given the many questions to be addressed, I stand with residents in opposition to Fortunoff as the site of gaming in Nassau and have made my position known to OTB (Off-Track Betting)," Mangano wrote.
Earlier, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray also came out against the plan.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano Says He Doesn't Support Casino At Westbury Fortunoff Site
Off-Track Betting announced last month it had chosen the vacant store in The Source mall for the gambling parlor, which would include up to 1,000 slot machines and table games. It could open sometime in 2015.
Westbury resident Henry Cernitz, an organizer of the Stop the Casino movement, hopes OTB reconsiders.
"The OTB is required to get a letter from the town and the county consenting to it and now that Mangano and Murray have gone on record as saying they don't want it in that particular spot, well they're sort of boxed in," Cernitz said.
Residents fear more crime and traffic problems; OTB said it will address local concerns.
"We're upset, we don't need it," Cernitz said. "There's no doubt that there has to be a casino in Nassau County, but find a better spot."
OTB officials said the project would create 200 jobs and they're confident it will receive significant community support after all the details are made public.
"NROTB fully understands that elected officials must advocate on behalf of the constituents they serve. We welcome that advocacy and will, in turn, work closely with all local officials to ensure that all community concerns are fully considered and addressed," Nassau OTB said in a statement.
Opponents are holding a community forum Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Brigid School on Maple Avenue in Westbury.
They're also planning a rally at the Fortunoff site on Saturday.
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