Tribe’s casino plan gets public hearing

By Stephanie Vosk
Cape Cod Times

CAPE COD, M.ass. — The hearing will focus only on the scope of an environmental review process being undertaken on 539 acres in Middleboro the tribe wants to put into trust.

Tribe leaders will present details of the plan already unveiled last week. The plans call for a 240,000-square-foot casino with an adjoining 1,200-room hotel that would be 15 to 18 stories high, tribal council spokeswoman Amy Lambiaso confirmed.

The proposal also includes a 6,500-car garage, an 18-hole golf course, and a retail area and event center.

The water park that former tribal council Chairman Glenn Marshall often called one of his favorite components is not included.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Middleboro High School. Federal officials will hold another meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Mashpee High School to discuss a review of 140 acres in that town the tribe wants to put into trust.

No details about the tribe’s plan for those lands have been released.

The number of hotel rooms is scaled down from what the tribe originally talked about. A deal approved by a 2-1 margin at Middleboro town meeting in July was based on the town receiving $7 million annually plus a 4 percent room tax on 1,500 hotel rooms — a projected $4 million.

“They sold it to the people based on a bigger hotel and generating more revenue for room tax,” said Rich Young, a Middleboro resident and president of the statewide opposition group, Casino Free Mass.

Clyde Barrow, a leading expert on gambling economics, had already called the figure inflated, saying 1,500 rooms would really bring in about $2.4 million. Barrow said last week he also believes the tribe will have to keep the room prices relatively low to compete with nearby Foxwoods Resort and Casino and Mohegan Sun.

“Not only will the reduction in rooms impact the occupancy tax revenues, but the lower price will do so as well,” Barrow said.

Middleboro Selectman Adam Bond argued that fewer rooms at the casino could ultimately help the town.
“If they would put up one hotel room I’d be happy because all of the hotel rooms in town would then be generating more money for Middleboro,” Bond said.

Dennis Whittlesey, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney who represented Middleboro in the negotiations with the tribe, said fewer rooms will likely mean a lower complimentary room rate, evening out the revenue, and additional rooms will likely be added down the road.

The environmental review is expected to take until next spring at the earliest, according to Jim Kardatzke, branch chief of natural resources for the Nashville, Tenn., office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

In addition to environmental impacts such as traffic and water runoff, investigators will look at the economic impact of the land proposal, Kardatzke said in January. “It’s not just the animals and trees,” he said.

The Nashville office is also accepting written comments.