Letter to the Editor: Concern Over Casino Proposal in Foxborough

I am a resident of South Walpole who is very concerned about the proposed casino by Steve Wynn on land that may be leased by Robert Kraft across the street from Gillette Stadium. There are almost 500 residential homes with many families and children located within 1,000 yards of the proposed casino site. Many directly abut the proposed site. I do not believe that this is the type of site that the legislature had in mind when they passed the casino bill.

The casino and surrounding complex will be massive, and will include many bars, clubs and entertainment venues as well as multi-family dwellings according to the zoning change proposal submitted by the Kraft Group. The zoning also proposed amphitheaters, 500 foot tall wind turbines, 30 story buildings, commuter rail, and bus stations. The zoning changes, if ever adopted, would change the character of the region dramatically.

The casino could operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for 75 years. The town will have no control of the liquor licenses. There will be tens of thousands of patrons coming and going every day of the year.  I cannot imagine raising a family in the shadows of such a business. I am extremely worried about the impact this large scale development  will have on our quality of life, the safety of my family, and the value of our home. If this were to pass, I do not believe we would be easily able to sell and move away even if we wanted to. Many of my neighbors share similar concerns. Due to the way the casino legislation is written, surrounding towns such as Norfolk, Walpole, or Wrentham do not get a formal vote in the process. Therefore we are mostly on the sidelines of a debate that will affect all of us for the rest of our lives

I hope that many of my fellow neighbors in our wonderful community that happen to live just over the line in Foxboro will remember the impact this project would have on everyone, including those from abutting towns who although are not members of the town of Foxboro, share and make up the same community. In the end we're all in this together.

Dave Mackey