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REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMApril 19, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
Contact: Rene Goodwin
215.271.5872
renegood@comcast.net
Media Advisory - PRESS CONFERENCE
DELAWARE RIVER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (DRNA) and REPRESENTATIVE MIKE O'BRIEN
DATE: Thursday, April 19, 2007 12:30 PM
LOCATION: 1515 Arch Street, (home of City Planning Commission)
On Thursday, April 19, at 12:30 pm, members of the DRNA (Delaware River Neighborhood Alliance), a coalition of twenty-one groups representing over 250,000+ Philadelphians joined in an effort to protect our communities and opposed to the two casino sites, will hold a press conference at the home of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. The Commission, located at 1515 Arch Street, is scheduled to meet on that date at 1 pm. It will be a meeting of the full commission.
Representative O'Brien will attend the press conference and has led the inquiry into the issue of zoning status. Representative O'Brien, together with the DRNA members, will publicly voice their concerns about the lack of answers that have been forthcoming from the Commission regarding section 14-403 of the "Commercial Entertainment District" legislation. The legislation was introduced last year by Councilman Frank DiCicco. The cited section pertains to regulations regarding casino zoning, which according to the regulation, could be granted 45 days after application is made.
DRNA continues to fight for the referendum and for the minimum standard of casino development to be 1500 feet from neighborhoods. The Alliance acknowledge that as long as the siting of the two casinos remain at their current location, there will never be a hospitable environment for this development. They also are working to bring light to the many flaws in the process that brought things to this point. "The residents of the riverfront communities are entitled to an open and transparent process," O'Brien noted, "simply ask Janice Woodcock and the Commission to stop stonewalling."
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