Annapolis Capital Punishment

(The following is a press release from "No Slots At the Mall" It is well known that ACP is firmly opposed to slots in general and let it be known here and now officially that I am opposed to slots at The Mall in particular--and for so many reasons....all of which I might write about later, but for now, in its unedited version, the news release.)

(Hanover, MD – Oct. 8, 2010) Community leaders against a slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall spoke out today to set the record straight on the misinformation campaign launched by the developer and their campaign.

“The voters of Anne Arundel County understand what this referendum is all about, said David Jones, Chair, No Slots at the Mall. “For more than a year, the people of this county have said, ‘We are against a giant slots parlor at the mall.’ Over 40,000 people signed a petition to stop slots at the mall, and in just a few weeks the voters will finally have a chance to tell our elected officials, ‘No, we do not want a slots casino at a family-friendly mall, we believe there is better, more appropriate location.”

“Slots are coming to Anne Arundel County, and Question A gives us the opportunity to put them at a better location,” Jones said.

....continued..
In plans submitted by the Cordish Companies to the Maryland Video Lottery

Location Commission, there is only 30 feet separating the mall and the casino. The

proposed slots casino would be built approximately 50 feet from the food court

doors and a clothing outlet, the Children’s Place (Overlay Attached). The proposed

slots casino would eliminate the entire parking lot overlooking that side of mall.



However, in their TV spot, mall supporters contend the slots casino would fall far

from the Mall’s entrance, and in fact rest on protected wetlands behind the mall.



“Clearly they are trying to pull a fast one, said David Jones, “The only reason not to

tell the truth about the location is to literally distance themselves from the mall,

which up to now, was the developers top selling point.”



Mall Supporters Fast and Loose on the Definition of “In” the Mall



Much ado has been made about whether the casino is “in” the mall. However it was

the Cordish Company’s consultant that claimed in January 2010 that the slots casino

would be “in” the mall.



“On behalf of our clients, PPE Casino Resorts, we are submitting a Site Development

Plan for the above referenced project. The Casino site is located “in” the existing

Arundel Mills Mall.” Quote is taken from January 19, 2010 letter from Bowman

Consulting as part of the site plan submission to the Anne Arundel County Office of

Planning and Zoning (Attached).



Integrated Entertainment Complex – You Cannot Have It Both Ways



In a September 2009 presentation to the Maryland Video Lottery Commission

the Cordish Company argues that Arundel Mills Mall is a “Gaming, Retail and

Entertainment Complex” and that the slots casino will be part of the larger mall

complex relying on existing mall amenities to supplement the experience for slots

casino patrons (Attached).



Traffic Gridlock – It’s Hard to Get There Now, Forget About It If It’s Built



In anticipating BRAC, a January 2009 Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA)

report found that 19 intersections around Arundel Mills Mall are currently failing

and improvements costs are estimated to be up to $200 million (Attached). Due to

cost constraints only six intersections are targeted for improvements. The Cordish

Company is projecting an additional 40,000 vehicles per day. As a result these

intersections will undergo catastrophic failure.



Each evening at rush hour, the exit off of B-W Parkway (Route 295) at the Arundel

Mills roundabout is predicted to fail according to a February 2010 SHA analysis

of the Cordish Company zoning request (Attached). SHA questioned the Cordish

Company assumption that zero cars heading to the slots casino would use the

northbound Arundel Mills Blvd exit off of Route 295.



“The Baltimore-Washington Parkway is already highly congested and now we

see that our side roads are not equipped to handle BRAC or the slots casino,

let alone both,” said Robert Annicelli, President of Stop Slots at Arundel Mills.



“Plus, where will everyone park? Mr. Cordish claims to be building 6,500 parking

spots but he rarely mentions that the slots casino will eliminate the entire rear

parking lot eating up 4,100 existing parking spots. With only 2,400 parking spots

for 4,750 slot machines where will everyone park? As everyone knows, its already

impossible to find a place to park at the mall,” said Annicelli.


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