Off-track betting facility given a favorable review
Horse Racing Betting System
WOODBRIDGE - The township Planning Board recently voted to give a favorable recommendation to an application for an off-track horse racing wagering facility to be built in Fords by the state.
The facility, if built, would be housed in the former A&P off Route 1.
"This is a courtesy hearing," said Board Attorney Marc Rogoff at the start of the meeting. "They are here to answer any questions, and we will let them make a presentation," he said, referring to representatives from the NJSEA [New Jersey Sports and Expo Authority], which owns and operates the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford.
The application was exempt from review by the Planning Board because the Township Council did not file an objection to it.
The Township Council passed a resolution expressing interest in the wagering facility at its June 20 meeting.
The purpose of the Planning Board's informational session last week was to give the public the opportunity to make comments and ask questions, Rogoff said after the meeting.
NJSEA representative Dennis Down said that the state has already had extensive discussions about the project with local officials.
"Prior to setting forth with this application, we did have discussions with members of the governing body, Mayor [Frank G.] Pelzman, the police chief and deputy police chief," Down said. "We took them to an off-track wagering facility in northern Philadelphia ... and they seemed quite pleased with it."
Down said they would expect to employ 50 to 80 people at the proposed site on peak-traffic days. He predicted an average attendance of 350 customers per day.
"The product that would be offered would be horse racing, simulcast into the facility from around the world," Down said. "Mostly East Coast racing, supplemented by racing from across the U.S. and abroad."
The NJSEA took into account demographics and other factors in deciding to apply for the off-track horse racing wagering facility in Woodbridge, he said.
"We would go to an area where there is interest and the potential to grow interest without hurting existing operations," Down said. "I did not want to adversely impact Monmouth Park or the Meadowlands, two active racetracks. Also, Woodbridge is a wonderful community in terms of its access, with the turnpike, parkway and Route 1."
Only two other applications for similar off-track wagering facilities are under consideration to be built. They are proposed for the municipalities of Vineland and Toms River, said Peter D. Simone, NJSEA Director of Off-Track Wagering Services.
Planning Board member Pat Trombetta asked if it would be appropriate to allow gambling in the township.
"What I am proposing is permitted in that area by state statute," replied Down. "That isn't the issue. The issue is if we are in a nonresidential zone, and the fact is we are. You are not being asked to change zoning or anything like that, because quite frankly, that is not before this body."
Down said that only those over age 18 would be allowed to enter the establishment unless they were accompanied by a parent or guardian. No one under the age of 21 would be allowed in the facility's separate bar area.
All of the security for the proposed site would be provided by them, Down added.
Menlo Park Terrace resident Linda Seguine was concerned about whether the proposed establishment would make existing traffic issues on Route 1 even worse.
"I am worried about Route 1 traffic more than anything," Seguine said. "My bank is over there, my drug store is over there. With several hundred cars coming out of there, you won't be able to move."
She said that for the residents of Menlo Park Terrace, the back way through Fords is often the preferred route to move around the area, which this proposed establishment may block.
Board member Patricia Osborne said that construction on Route 1 in that area would alleviate some of the traffic issues.
"There will be turning lanes, which will alleviate the backup," Osborne said. "It should alleviate that, but the thing is that we are going to have to live through the construction."
Fords resident Camille Mullally said she was concerned the proposed facility was too close to area schools and the Fords library, a comment that generated applause from the audience.
"As a resident of this community for 49 years, I am appalled by the lack of consideration for the three schools that are presently used by children up and down Ford Avenue, as well as a very important library," Mullally said.
"No one seems to consider the fact that these kids would be out walking at the time that this beautiful casino is in operation," she said. "We could care less about the looks of the building, but we do care about our children."
Township Council members James Carroll and Richard Dalina were also in attendance in the audience, as was Sen. Joseph Vitale.
Dalina said that if the proposed facility were for a grocery store, then none of the residents would have appeared to protest the application.
"The town was actively pursuing to get some kind of grocery store in there, but they want bigger venues these days," he said. "The one in Hopelawn left, and the old A&P left. [NJSEA] is putting $5 million into this building, and they are not looking to attract lowlifes."
Vitale also said he was impressed by a similar wagering facility he saw in Philadelphia.
"It was not offensive, loud, or dirty at all," Vitale said. "Everything was contained inside, so you wouldn't have betting slips flying around outside in the parking lot or in the streets. It was clean, it was presentable, and I think that given the right circumstances, I think that it is an acceptable use for them."
Board member Lorraine Luban was the only member to vote against the recommendation.
"I have to vote my conscience, and I understand that the state will do what it wants, but I just have too many concerns, and I will have to say no," Luban said.
|
