NC county OKs rezoning 192 acres that could host new casino despite resident protests
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North Carolina’s casino debate
State legislators are considering expanding state-sanctioned gambling in North Carolina. That could include adding new casinos on nontribal lands as well as legalizing and regulating video lottery terminals. The debate has stalled budget discussions. Here is coverage from The News & Observer about the issue.
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Rockingham County commissioners approved rezoning nearly 200 acres Monday that is expected to host one of four potential casinos legislative leaders have proposed authorizing before the end of this year’s session.
Granting the controversial request, commissioners voted 5-0 to allow the 192-acre parcel currently designated as residential agricultural to be rezoned as highway commercial.
Before they voted, the commissioners heard from several residents who urged them to reject the request and close the door on a plan that could call for a casino and broader entertainment district. Members of the community said they were worried about how a casino could disrupt life in the quiet residential and rural area.
Monday’s vote moves the process forward for development to eventually begin. But before that can happen, state lawmakers in Raleigh would need to authorize the construction of casinos on non-tribal lands.
Republican legislative leaders have been discussing a proposal this summer would allow four new casinos to be built: one in Rockingham County, one in Anson County, one in Nash County, and a fourth to be run by the Lumbee Tribe.
The proposal still hasn’t been formally introduced as a standalone bill, as this year’s session continues to drag on while Republican leaders negotiate their differences over the state budget.
Last week, Senate leader Phil Berger, who represents Rockingham County, said it’s more likely that the casino proposal will be included in the budget, or that it doesn’t advance this year. A standalone bill moving forward on its own is less likely to happen, he said. Berger’s son, Kevin Berger, serves on the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners.
Rockingham County, with a population of about 92,000 people, is along the Virginia-North Carolina border. The county seat of Wentworth is about 100 miles northeast of Raleigh.
Concerns about traffic, noise and local camp
The area of the rezoning includes several houses as well as a camp for children with special needs that has served the region for nearly 40 years.
The camp is known for running a six-week session in the summer but keeps its doors open throughout much of the rest of the year, hosting Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, church groups, and family reunions, Rhonda Rodenbough, a board member of Camp Carefree and the camp’s treasurer, told commissioners.
If the land is developed for commercial use as planned, Rodenbough said, the influx of traffic will clog up roads that serve as the only entrance to the area for many local residents and businesses.
“Let’s stop here and take responsibility for what your jobs are — to oversee the benefits of the citizens of Rockingham County,” Rodenbough said. “Don’t just look to the developers who keep coming in, wanting to buy our property, wanting to overcrowd our residents, wanting to take parcels of land, and turn them into entertainment districts.”
Kelly Demery, a mother of two from Madison, told commissioners she and her husband moved to the area in 2016 looking for a town that was “relatively quiet and safe,” after living in Winston-Salem for eight years.
Demery said she and her husband knew that sooner or later, wherever they ended up, “change and growth” would catch up with them, and that they “were OK with that as long as it was done respectfully and in good taste to the community and environment around it.”
But, Demery said, a casino was definitely not something she could tolerate after moving to what she thought was a safe place to raise her children.
“Think of the children’s lives that will be ripped apart because of the gambling disorders, bankruptcy, crime, personal health issues, and family problems that will live under their same roofs,” Demery said.
Many calls to hold county board accountable
Many residents who showed up to Monday’s meeting held up signs that read “Keep Our Community Great — No Casino” and “Family First No Casino.”
The crowd cheered loudly after each person who was there to oppose the casino addressed the commissioners. And some people told the commissioners they would lose the community’s support if they ignored the strong concerns they had about the development and approved it.
“Vote ‘no’ for our community, but most importantly, vote ‘no’ for our children,” Demery said at the end of her remarks. “If you do not, you will get a ‘no’ vote from me if you seek reelection for your current position, or any other public office, and I will actively support any efforts in the future to ensure that you have no say.”
Commissioners heard from Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who is currently running for lieutenant governor, as well as former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, who is running for governor. Both spoke out strongly against the project.
“The way this has been handled, the lack of transparency, has not spoken well,” Walker said. “And that’s the frustration of the people, that this has come across, whether intended or not, it’s come across as a railroad job, that ‘we’re going to make the decisions that’s best on behalf of the people of Rockingham County.”
Walker said that on top of the basic concerns the community had about a casino being built in the area, commissioners shouldn’t rush to approve rezoning for a project that is struggling to get the support from Republicans it needs in Raleigh to move forward in the legislature.
“Part of the deal was to get at least 50% of the Republican state House members to caucus in favor of this,” Walker said. “They can’t even get 25% of the state House caucus on this.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2023 at 5:45 AM with the headline "NC county OKs rezoning 192 acres that could host new casino despite resident protests."
