State panel hears concerns about casino

Concerned North Las Vegas residents who live near a proposed casino site felt as though they had finally been heard Monday during a hearing before the state's Gaming Policy Committee review panel.

"I think the panel was more attentive and more concerned with our ... concerns than the (North Las Vegas) City Council and the Planning Commission," said Gail Tominac, a resident who lives near the proposed site, near Craig Road and Commerce Street. Residents are appealing a Feb. 7 City Council decision to grant Las Vegas Gaming, a real estate investment group that controls the site, a gaming enterprise district.

"The panel was clearly more attuned to all the relevant factors," attorney Chuck Gardner, representing the North Las Vegas Preservation Group, said.

Gardner listed a number of the neighbors' concerns during his presentation, including safety of students at the elementary schools he said would sandwich the casino. He said Las Vegas Gaming had not proven to the City Council in a clear and convincing way that the casino would not have a negative effect on quality of life and police and fire services, and had not sufficiently addressed many other issues.

Bill Curran, attorney for Las Vegas Gaming, said the casino would be beneficial because it would provide activities and meeting space the neighborhood needs. And he disputed the concerns of the residents, saying many of them were unfounded because they had all been addressed in detail by Las Vegas Gaming.

The state review panel will meet again at 10 a.m. March 27 at the Sawyer State Office Building to hand down its decision.

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