PA Board Members Questioned over Slots Initiative
Pennsylvania is in the midst of embracing changes. One township that’s hard on the heels of legislation rewriting is Straban. Straban Township citizens are waiting patiently for a decision as to when the zoning board will grant a special exception to the proposed casino to circumvent local zoning regulations. The casino in question is called “Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa” and is going to have a lot machines, gaming tables, restaurants, retail shops and office space. There are some problems with the decision because of the strong anti-gambling sector within legislation. If that sector can be swayed, however, the township is likely to get their slot machine parlor up and running quickly.
The local zoning board took a lot of criticism due to one of its members noting a bias against slots machines and casinos. The board member was caught with a “No Casino” sign displayed on her property. Though she has a right to have an opinion, as a member of the board she is supposed to be unbiased to best serve the needs of the Straban Township community. By posting the sign, she made it clear that she had a preconceived decision about the issue. The board member, Marcella Krammerer, was both found to be biased and asked to excuse herself from the board’s decision on slots and gambling.
There also was a second board member who was accused of having a bias. He was not asked to be removed from the decision however because his wife was the one who promoted the “no gambling” stance. He was deemed not guilty of promoting his own beliefs and allowed to continue on the board. According to David La Torre a spokesman for Chance Enterprises (developer of the Crossroads project) “We certainly believe this project fits within all zoning requirements and certainly respect the hard work the township has done on this project. They’ve had a difficult job and we’re hopeful that the vote will go our way and we expect it will.”
Regardless of how the board decides, the question of online gambling is a difficult one. Legislators are tasked with finding ways to generate additional income, while still protecting the communities where they are built. They need to make sure there is some safeguard built into the rules and regulations of gambling and slot machine implementation. a
Tags: board, legal, PA, Pennsylvania, zoning
