Stop Destination Sports Betting in Riva
Stop Destination Sports Betting in Riva
The Issue
Hello,
We're continuing our efforts to stop the proposed Destination Sports Wagering Bar that will be located at "Michael's on the South River." The facility is located in the Riva area neighborhood in the state of Maryland. In their application, Kathe P. Hospitality says specifically that they'd like to "turn the venue into a destination sports wagering bar and restaurant."
This all started with an article in The Patch and an email campaign. Thank you for your efforts. This petition, and your emails, have opened many doors for our concerns. State and Local Government officials have taken notice. We've met with council members, and delegates, as well as representatives from our senate districts.
On February 15th the Sports Wagering Application Review Committee (SWARC) awarded Kathe P. Hospitality doing business as "Michael's on the South River" a sports betting facility license. SWARC appreciated our input, however, kicked this issue to the county level.
Our concerns are as follows:
Loss of neighborhood Charm and Safety
"Michael's on the South River" is inside a family-centered community. The proposed venue's parking lot neighbors multiple homes with children of varied ages. What's more, its parking lot is near a public school bus stop.
Evidence from a recent study in Illinois shows that video gambling venues are associated with increased localized crime (1). The article specifically cites that betting venues led to an increase in local crimes, and went on to say that the cost of these crimes was measured in the millions.
Additionally, research shows that sporting events attract a high volume of people to places such as pubs or bars to watch the games. These can be crime attractors or generators (2).
The cost of these crimes only considers the actual crime and does not speak to the loss in property values. Nor does it speak to the loss of a sense of comfort and loss of security one feels allowing their child to play in the neighborhood. It does not speak to the anxiety a parent would feel allowing their child to use the bus stop.
As it stands, young families have a hard time finding a comfortable, family-centered affordable safe neighborhood. Putting a betting venue within one of the few that exist would deny families another such neighborhood.
Increased Traffic Burden:
The proposed venue shares a parking lot with "Mike's Crab House." As it is, during the summer months patrons of “Mike’s Crab House” make traffic difficult, and the restaurant does an awful job managing the situation. Often, restaurant patrons park on local streets rather than in the parking lot provided. The traffic, at times, blocks local commutes completely. Adding a "destination" betting venue will make traffic difficult all year round, and stagnant during the summer months. There is a serious concern about First Responders' ability to provide aid during the worst peak times.
Infringement of our low-density status:
Anne Arundel county has designated the Riva area a Neighborhood Preservation / Planned Land use / Residential Low-density area (3). This designation limits new development and allows for public investment in walking and biking infrastructure. Future development will be catered to low-density. The increased traffic burden as described above will strain our “low-density” roads.
Failure to consider the community in the decision:
Our community did not have an opportunity to voice our concerns. Now is our chance. We only learned of the proposition on February 3rd, 2023, when it was published in "The Patch." Our initial efforts tried to stop the application at the committee level. However, we were informed that license finalization was slated for February 15th. There are still local hurdles, that need to be surmounted before "Michael's" can proceed. This is where we hope to succeed.
Failure of the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) to apply proper rigor to their application process.
SWARC's criteria for awarding licensure are questionable. They cited public interest in their decision, however, this isn't defined in any of their cited documents.
SWARC specifically states an application for licensure can't be accepted if local zoning laws aren't present. "Michael's" application stated “A change to the zoning law governing this property is required. Applicant advises that a zoning amendment is being introduced and expects it will be supported.“ During our extensive searches, we found no evidence to support this statement. Yet, SWARC took it on faith and didn't apply the rigor we'd expect of our governing committees.
SWARC has already awarded 12 online sports betting licenses, and 7 facility sports betting licenses. How many does one state need? There are legitimate concerns over the inherent addiction risk of Gambling. There is no public interest for yet another in our low-density / Neighborhood preservation community.
Conclusion:
The proposed Destination Sports Betting Venue for "Michael's on the South River," is terrible for the neighborhood because it will likely lead to decreased family safety, increased traffic, and decreased property values. Furthermore, decisions about our community have been made without our input. In addition to these, SWARC failed to apply proper rigor in their application approval. Also, SWARC has a dubious claim for public interest when awarding yet another sports betting license. Practically, the only benefit is to the owners of "Michael's on the South River."
Reference:
2,296
The Issue
Hello,
We're continuing our efforts to stop the proposed Destination Sports Wagering Bar that will be located at "Michael's on the South River." The facility is located in the Riva area neighborhood in the state of Maryland. In their application, Kathe P. Hospitality says specifically that they'd like to "turn the venue into a destination sports wagering bar and restaurant."
This all started with an article in The Patch and an email campaign. Thank you for your efforts. This petition, and your emails, have opened many doors for our concerns. State and Local Government officials have taken notice. We've met with council members, and delegates, as well as representatives from our senate districts.
On February 15th the Sports Wagering Application Review Committee (SWARC) awarded Kathe P. Hospitality doing business as "Michael's on the South River" a sports betting facility license. SWARC appreciated our input, however, kicked this issue to the county level.
Our concerns are as follows:
Loss of neighborhood Charm and Safety
"Michael's on the South River" is inside a family-centered community. The proposed venue's parking lot neighbors multiple homes with children of varied ages. What's more, its parking lot is near a public school bus stop.
Evidence from a recent study in Illinois shows that video gambling venues are associated with increased localized crime (1). The article specifically cites that betting venues led to an increase in local crimes, and went on to say that the cost of these crimes was measured in the millions.
Additionally, research shows that sporting events attract a high volume of people to places such as pubs or bars to watch the games. These can be crime attractors or generators (2).
The cost of these crimes only considers the actual crime and does not speak to the loss in property values. Nor does it speak to the loss of a sense of comfort and loss of security one feels allowing their child to play in the neighborhood. It does not speak to the anxiety a parent would feel allowing their child to use the bus stop.
As it stands, young families have a hard time finding a comfortable, family-centered affordable safe neighborhood. Putting a betting venue within one of the few that exist would deny families another such neighborhood.
Increased Traffic Burden:
The proposed venue shares a parking lot with "Mike's Crab House." As it is, during the summer months patrons of “Mike’s Crab House” make traffic difficult, and the restaurant does an awful job managing the situation. Often, restaurant patrons park on local streets rather than in the parking lot provided. The traffic, at times, blocks local commutes completely. Adding a "destination" betting venue will make traffic difficult all year round, and stagnant during the summer months. There is a serious concern about First Responders' ability to provide aid during the worst peak times.
Infringement of our low-density status:
Anne Arundel county has designated the Riva area a Neighborhood Preservation / Planned Land use / Residential Low-density area (3). This designation limits new development and allows for public investment in walking and biking infrastructure. Future development will be catered to low-density. The increased traffic burden as described above will strain our “low-density” roads.
Failure to consider the community in the decision:
Our community did not have an opportunity to voice our concerns. Now is our chance. We only learned of the proposition on February 3rd, 2023, when it was published in "The Patch." Our initial efforts tried to stop the application at the committee level. However, we were informed that license finalization was slated for February 15th. There are still local hurdles, that need to be surmounted before "Michael's" can proceed. This is where we hope to succeed.
Failure of the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) to apply proper rigor to their application process.
SWARC's criteria for awarding licensure are questionable. They cited public interest in their decision, however, this isn't defined in any of their cited documents.
SWARC specifically states an application for licensure can't be accepted if local zoning laws aren't present. "Michael's" application stated “A change to the zoning law governing this property is required. Applicant advises that a zoning amendment is being introduced and expects it will be supported.“ During our extensive searches, we found no evidence to support this statement. Yet, SWARC took it on faith and didn't apply the rigor we'd expect of our governing committees.
SWARC has already awarded 12 online sports betting licenses, and 7 facility sports betting licenses. How many does one state need? There are legitimate concerns over the inherent addiction risk of Gambling. There is no public interest for yet another in our low-density / Neighborhood preservation community.
Conclusion:
The proposed Destination Sports Betting Venue for "Michael's on the South River," is terrible for the neighborhood because it will likely lead to decreased family safety, increased traffic, and decreased property values. Furthermore, decisions about our community have been made without our input. In addition to these, SWARC failed to apply proper rigor in their application approval. Also, SWARC has a dubious claim for public interest when awarding yet another sports betting license. Practically, the only benefit is to the owners of "Michael's on the South River."
Reference:
2,296
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Petition created on February 6, 2023