Opponents Question Extent of Milford Review of Foxwoods Casino

Opponents of the proposed Foxwoods Massachusetts casino called on Milford Selectmen to end consideration of the gaming resort, saying the plan is ever-changing and questioning whether town officials will be able to adequately review its impacts.

Two representatives of Casino Free Milford presented a report at the beginning of the regular selectmen's meeting, which questioned the ability of town officials and consultants to review the nearly $1 billion project, given the fast timeline for the town to reach an agreement.

Since June 3, when Foxwoods presented its plan to Milford residents in a meeting at Milford High School, the design for access from I-495 has changed, the site has been moved closer to homes because of environmental concerns, and the developer continues to underestimate the amount of water that will be needed, said Steve Trettel and Rob Mitchell, Milford residents who are professional engineers.

The town is being held to a schedule that is being set by the developer, said Mitchell. The revisions over the past month in design, siting, highway access and other elements of the project show that it is still in flux, he said.

"In my opinion, they're telling you what you want to hear."

Trettel pointed out that no consultant is preparing an evaluation of the impact on property values, or on Milford schools.
 
In a series of community meetings that ended last week, Foxwoods Massachusetts executives said that the casino could result in an increase in property values, and cited a recent Boston Globe article on escalating values in Everett, where a competing casino is proposed. In Springfield, however, Trettel said a report by a Realtors group found that properties close to the casino proposed for that city would be devalued by 4.6 percent.

The original timeline set by the town for considering the proposal and negotiating a host community agreement has been altered by the design changes, Trettel said, saying Foxwoods has "hijacked" the town's evaluation process.

"The design is constantly changing," said Mitchell. "We should be holding to our own standards in vetting this." He compared the fluidity of the Foxwoods plan to the carnival game "Whack-a-Mole."

"The mole just keeps popping up wherever you push the other one down."

Milford Selectmen, who listened to the report at the beginning of their regular meeting, each spoke to their own concerns about the casino and the extent of the town review.

Dino DeBartolomeis said the town will be relying on its department heads and consultants to make sure the questions are answered. A meeting on Wednesday, in which the traffic impact of the project will be discussed, is key, he said. "I think we should begin," he said. "... The first real test will be Wednesday, to see what they present."

Brian Murray said his position hadn't changed, that he still needs to have all the questions answered about the project, to his satisfaction, before he will vote to enter a community agreement. "We are not being directed by the Foxwoods schedule," he said. As a representative of the town, "I feel a responsibility to fully investigate it, to determine if it's a good [deal] or a bad one."

Bill Buckley, the current chairman, said with every public meeting, the project is less viable. He cited the recent change in site design, in which over the space of days, the project moved from a location near the interstate, to within 700 feet of the closest homes. The town has been waiting for the developer to come in with a final plan for the selectmen to evaluate, he said.

The shift in site was required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which cited the presence of vernal pools on the original site for the development.

"What we are seeing is a developer that didn't come back with anything that would pass superficial scrutiny from any of the powers that be," he said.