Mr. Mayor and Honorable Members of Council:
I write to oppose approval of item 19-276 on the City Council Agenda for July 23, 2019. Until 6 PM yesterday evening, only a relative handful of Portsmouth citizens had any idea this was coming. Unlike the previous master plan for development of the old Fairwood Homes/Academy Park property, which was extensively discussed with our residents, this proposal emerged from closed discussions and is being thrust on the populace as a “done deal”. Setting aside for the moment any casino considerations, the entertainment district could negatively impact nearby neighborhoods — including Cavalier Manor, Highland Biltmore, and Newport — and the businesses in and on the periphery of Victory Crossing. Additionally, it will have potential adverse impact on the Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College. I do not believe that such a project, sited on what is one of our largest, if not the largest, tracts of developable land should proceed at breakneck speed. As I have noted at other times and places, when someone wants to achieve something in the worst way, they generally do. Hometown “poster children” for the validity of that concept include the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion and the Elizabeth River Crossings Project.
Concerning the casino element of the proposal, many of the same objections apply: negative neighborhood, business, and TCC impacts, at a minimum, from additional traffic. Of course, casinos often bring even worse problems, but we don’t have to consider those until we get beyond the existing legal hurdles — a favorable JLARC finding, enabling legislation acceptable to the General Assembly and Governor, the almost inevitable court challenges, and, ultimately, approval in a local referendum. With all of that on the horizon, the current frenzy to push this concept forward seems undue haste. I would suggest, therefore, that you defer consideration of this item at least to the second council meeting in August so that all our residents, businesses, and other interested parties have time to review and evaluate what is at stake.
Please let me know if you need additional information.
This should happen. You are right, to thrust upon the citizenry in a hurried fashion this proposal breeds disaster in the long run. Let’s do your due diligence and have neighborhood involvement before voting to approve.
To be brief, I thought gambling was illegal?
This matter is truly a rat under the rug. I continue like yourself, Mark to stand with everything you say and with a few personal objections layered on top. This matter is the topping on the cake, exemplifying the outrageous behavior of this Council that can only be construed as disrespectful to the Citizens of our fair City, a disregard for common sense and fiscal responsibility, and is a performance of what is continuing to be nothing less than a shallow effort to be devious and circumspect, rather than open and publically deliberative. There is about as much sunshine on this matter as stick match in an eclipse. Contrived or conspired, the public vacuum created to obscure the opinions of the public from the public itself is unprecedented. In recent weeks Council’s failure to air non-agenda speakers, considered in the context of these present actions must be taken as highly suspect. There is and has been a long crescendo of efforts by successive councils and City Managers and their staff to move in the direction of tyranny, expressed as the silencing of public rights and our inability to be heard in our petitions to the government, or our rights to be heard by fellow Citizens. Our fellow Citizens certainly deserve to hear such cries into the void of disrespect and disregard. To paraphrase President Ronald Regan. “We paid for that microphone and the Cox Cable public affairs channel and deserve to be heard over it, and our fellow citizens deserve to hear the objections, petitions, and suggestions of all Citizens that address the Council. the secrecy and back door deals of our City are legion. This current matter speaks to that long term public policy of an ever-increasing shift to an oligopoly, in which our leaders have constantly been willing to bury themselves in disgrace of secrecy, public deception, and conniving subterfuge. To promote an agenda for a casino, in which our State Senator has long held a strong personal association and interest cannot hide the smell of this matter. Throwing a rug over this stinking lump does not hide the stink. Everyone can smell a rat, even though the people, the taxpayers, the Citizens of this City have been denied a place in the sun. We may have been made deaf and blind, but we should not be made dumb. We all need to raise our voices against this public subterfuge and outrage.