At MetroWest Casino Forum, Lawmakers Ask Residents to Compromise

MetroWest area residents had a chance to air concerns and have questions answered, as the construction of large resort casinos in Massachusetts hurdles toward reality, Thursday night at a forum at an elementary school in Holliston.

Holliston selectman Jay Marsden urged area residents to avoid a mindset of uncompromising resistance toward a casino, saying that towns should be willing to work with developers and state officials.

Massachusetts lawmakers passed legislation in November allowing for construction of resort casinos in the state. There has been talk of a proposed, casino on the border of Milford and Holliston.

There is no guarantee that MetroWest could get a casino. It is in the same zone as Foxborough and Suffolk Downs, two other areas that have been discussed as potential location for a casino.

"The idea is that we should put ourselves in a position where we would have a voice throughout the process," Marsden said.

A casino in the state will not open for 3-4 years, said State Sen. Karen Spilka, who represents Framingham. Spilka voted against the casino bill in November.

She outlined some of the steps Massachusetts lawmakers are taking to reduce damage to communities. 

"We want to keep local businesses strong and viable," Spilka said.

Taxes on gambling revenue will add to a fund aimed at mitigating a casino's impact on the communities surrounding its host town, said Spilka. The fund will help address issues such as increased traffic and crime that could come with a gambling facility. 

During the question and answer portion of the meeting, MetroWest residents spoke out against the casino and asked how to stop it from being implemented. 

John Pibeiro, a Winthrop resident, asked the meeting's attendees to sign a petition to repeal November's legislation that permits casino gambling in the state. 

"Why would you ever want something that requires mitigation?" Pibeiro asked.