Court nixes civic groups' appeal of riverfront casinos
The state Supreme Court on Monday shot down an attempt by four Philadelphia civic associations to challenge the locations of two riverfront casinos.
The state Supreme Court on Monday shot down an attempt by four Philadelphia civic associations to challenge the locations of two riverfront casinos.
The court, in a decision posted yesterday, ruled that the neighborhood groups from Society Hill, Queen's Village, Pennsport and Whitman did not have legal standing to file the appeal.
Richard DeWyngaert, president of the Society Hill Civic Association, yesterday compared the decision to another court ruling that bumped from last month's election ballot a referendum on where casinos should be built in the city.
"It's one more example of the court silencing the voices of the citizens," he said. "We are disappointed, but this is an ongoing struggle and something to which we are committed."
Casino representatives and the state Gaming Control Board, which decided on the locations in December, praised the decision.
Maureen Garrity, a spokeswoman for Foxwoods in South Philadelphia, said the proposed casino is committed to being a good neighbor.
"We're encouraged by the Supreme Court's ruling and the removal of one more barrier to our project," Garrity said. "We hope that this development paves the way for the start of productive conversations with these community groups."
Dan Fee, a spokesman for SugarHouse in Fishtown, said the court made the right decision on this appeal. SugarHouse is anticipating decisions on other appeals soon, he added.
City Council, a group of anti-casino activists and another coalition of civic groups have each filed appeals to the Gaming Control Board's decisions.
The board joined the legal arguments made by the casinos that led to Monday's rulings.
The court, in a February ruling, dismissed an appeal from a taxpayer group in Erie about a casino location there because the group had not established legal standing before filing the appeal. *
