The battle over a plan to build a $2 billion casino on the Everett waterfront will get a hearing before a state environmental agency on Thursday, three months after work on the massive project was abruptly halted.
Wynn Resorts, which says the casino will create 4,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs, wants a quick resolution of the dispute so it can resume work and stay on schedule for a planned opening in late 2018.
But Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone contents the size and scope of the project, which is expected to attract 18,000 automobiles to the site each day, demands that Wynn take additional steps to deal with environmental impacts.A hearing officer for the state Department of Environmental Protection will preside over what could be an all-day hearing on Thursday, during which witnesses called by each side will be examined and cross-examined by lawyers.Both sides will later submit written closing arguments. The hearing officer will then make a recommendation to DEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg, who is expected to issue an order on the casino permit sometime in the July or August. Leung: Odds stacked against Curtatone in fight with Wynn The state will hear ’s appeal that has so far stopped Wynn’s casino. Don’t bet against the mogul.Either side will have the option of challenging the DEP order by filing a lawsuit in Superior Court.
The issuance of the permit turns on the question of whether the casino “serves a proper public purpose which provides greater benefit than detriment to the rights of the public.” The permit could come with conditions.
As part of its casino and hotel development, Wynn plans to provide public access to the Mystic River waterfront along landscaped paths and parks. Waterfront access is now highly restricted due to chemical contamination of the site.Somerville is located less than 100 feet from the casino site, separated by the Mystic River.Last summer, the casino project cleared a huge hurdle when it secured a key environmental permit from the state, an approval that came after more than two years of studying traffic and other impacts.That approval allowed Wynn Resorts to file for a waterfront development permit, the last major approval needed before the company could begin construction. In January, state regulators granted Wynn that permit and work on the 33-acre site began with environmental cleanup.But within days, Curtatone, an unwavering opponent of the casino, appealed the waterfront permit, sparking the current dispute. As a result, Wynn suspended construction work and held successive press conferences designed to ratchet up pressure on Curtatone to drop the appeal.One of the press conferences featured dozens of pro-casino labor groups and two mayors who support the casino, while the other included statements of support for the casino from leaders of the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Boston Harbor Association, and the Mystic River Watershed Association.But Curtatone vowed to continue his fight against the project, saying “no amount of public theater and political harassment will stop me.”Like Curtatone, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh attempted to block the Wynn casino on environmental grounds, but earlier this year Walsh came to an agreement with Wynn to drop further legal challenges in exchange for an additional $400,000 in annual payments, bringing the total to $2 million year.Curtatone said in an interview in February that he is only trying to get the best deal possible for Somerville residents. Wynn Resorts should pay for whatever measures are necessary to offset the influx of cars spewing exhaust in Somerville neighborhoods, he said.“I’m not saying money is not involved,” Curtatone said. “It will cost money to address the impacts on health and environment.”Billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn later said, “The chances of the mayor of Somerville getting any extra money from us are zero.”Sean P. Murphy can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow him on Twitter @spmurphyboston.| < Prev | Next > |
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