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REALTOR®/Broker

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‘NOT LAS VEGAS’

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Some speakers expressed worry over the prospect of gamblers driving past the entrance to Camp Carefree, which serves special-needs children, on the way to a casino proposed for nearly 193 acres of farmland about six miles north of Summerfield and Stokesdale.

“We don’t want to be Las Vegas,” said Chis Rodenbough, the camp’s property manager and Rhonda’s husband. “We aren’t asking anybody to do anything other than respect what’s going on in our own neighborhood.”

Speakers warned of increasing traffic, crime and drug and sex trafficking if the county’s Board of Commissioners approves a request for the rezoning of the property to accommo date gambling operations. After the county’s Planning Board recommended last month that the rezoning request be denied, the decision moves to the commissioners, who may make a final decision during their Aug. 21 meeting.

“Nothing good will come from establishing a casino in Rockingham County or in the state,” said Rock ingham County Sheriff Sam Page, the only elected local or state official to attend the meeting. Quoting the Scrip tures, he reminded the audience that part of their anti-casino efforts.

“the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

“I’ve seen the destruction, I’ve seen what it does to families, I’ve seen what it does to communities,” Page said. “Public safety has to be considered on the front end of these conversations and discussions with the state and local officials.” disclose how they might use the property. The request by NC Development Holdings, linked by state filings to Baltimore-based gaming developer The Cordish Cos., seeks a straight rezoning from residential agricultural (AG) to highway commercial (HC).

If these ills come to pass, they could hurt the recruitment of companies, such as aerospace suppliers to Honda Aircraft Co. and Boom Supersonic at Piedmont Triad International Airport, according to Robert Knight. He lives in Stokes County but has family ties to Rockingham.

Unlike a conditional rezoning, a straight rezoning imposes no restrictions on permitted uses of the property, according to Matthew Johnson, a planner who spoke during the meeting.

“We’ve been given little or no description of what the intended purpose would be, although this is not required,” Knight said. “However, transparency would be the neighborly thing to do since 29 of the surrounding parcels are residential or residential/agricultural.” dealer from King, North Carolina, said he believes the state General Assembly is going to pass legislation allowing for development of a casino in Rockingham County.

At times, the meeting took on an evangelical fervor that energized opponents to flood elected officials with emails and phone calls and put out hundreds of yard signs opposing what Rhonda Rodenbough described as “a money-making scheme” for an outside company.

“All we hear about this casino is how much money it’s going to generate (but) at what cost?” asked Griffith, the pastor of Osborne Baptist Church in Eden.

“I can tell you right now this casino legislation for the state of North Carolina is going fast,” James said, putting a momentary damper on enthusiasm among opponents during the nearly 1 ½-hour meeting. “It’s going to pass.”

In Raleigh, legislation being drafted by Republican leaders in the state General Assembly would allow for the development of three casinos in Rockingham, Anson and Nash counties by a single gaming company, according to a draft of the bill obtained by WRAL News in Raleigh. A possible fourth casino could be run by the Lumbee Tribe in southeastern North Carolina, state Speaker of the House Tim Moore, R-District 111, said.

At present, casinos are allowed only on Indian reservations in the state.

Acknowledging that opponents are facing political donations and lobbying by gambling companies, former U.S. representative and Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Walker said “this is still winnable.”

Widespread, vocal opposition is “the only leverage you have,” he told the audience.

The draft bill instructs North Carolina’s secretary of administration to start taking proposals by Sept. 1 from companies with 10 years of experience in the commercial gaming industry, according to WRAL. The company selected to operate the casinos would be required to spend at least $1.5 billion in private money – or at least $500 million at each location – and propose to add at least 5,250 jobs.