Company spokesman Michael Weaver said Friday the state’s traffic and environmental review process requires Wynn to address the traffic impacts brought by its project, “not solve decades-long traffic issues which pre-date our project”.
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“No long-term planning was involved, and the proposed casino will not be phased”, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone wrote.
A perfectly appropriate sentiment coming from a resident of neighboring Charlestown and an affirmed opponent of casinos; Healey happens to be both.
Healey may be correct that if Wynn is not required to provide a long-term traffic mitigation plan “we may never get one”.
Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton is expected to issue a decision by Friday.
State Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, in a Friday letter to environmental officers, stated she helps issuing a key state allow to Wynn that it wants to interrupt floor on the venture.
The official also argued that Wynn Resorts’ plan includes solutions for certain short-term problems and that the gambling operator should be given the green light to proceed with the construction of its property without being required to deal with long-term ones existing long before it was awarded the casino license for the Grater Boston area. Project plans call for a hotel, casino, shopping, dining and entertainment complex on about 30 acres (12.1 hectares) of formerly industrial land.
The Las Vegas casino giant’s environmental and traffic plan has gone through many revisions since it was filed in 2013.
Already, Wynn has announced that it will subsidize MBTA Orange Line operations to the tune of $7.36 million over 15 years for improvements that will be in place when it opens its resort casino along the Mystic River.
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Besides Healey’s letter, Beaton has received at least 18 written comments and almost 700 submissions sent electronically, according to documents provided by the office. The digital ones symbolize equivalent type letters talking in favor of the Wynn challenge however signed by totally different individuals.
