February 15, 2009
Whether or not one is a supporter of slots, there are a few very important issues that need to be addressed before the Anne Arundel County government paves the way for a new mega-casino complex near Arundel Mills mall ("A spin of the wheel," editorial, Feb. 8).The mall is in a mixed-use neighborhood, and thousands of residents live adjacent to it. Area residents are working families who are concerned with the increase in both traffic and crime that would accompany the proposed $1 billion development.Our region is already choking on traffic, and the relocation of 22,000 jobs to Fort Meade in the military base realignment and closure process will only exacerbate the problem. If the county changes zoning laws to allow the casino before evaluating its impact on traffic, it would be giving away its most important leverage with the developer and the state to try to mitigate such impacts.When the mall was developed, agreements were made between the mall, local developers and the Anne Arundel County to ensure that quality-of-life and environmental concerns were addressed. One of them was a conservation easement on about 51 acres of open space owned by the mall and adjacent to its buildings. Before any casino is approved, I ask for a specific commitment from County Executive John R. Leopold that he will maintain the integrity of that agreement and not permit development of any property under the county's protection.
If our elected officials decide to give away this very valuable easement they acquired when they gave the mall's owner the right to build, then shame on them.Robert AnnicelliHanoversource: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/letters/bal-ed.le.letters15f10feb15,0,5765114.story
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