Residents of Rockingham File Legal Action Over Casino Dispute with County
Property owners in Rockingham County, North Carolina, have sued the county's commissioners for bypassing "basic legal requirements" in the rezoning of 192.7 acres of land intended for a casino development. In August, the county's commissioners unanimously approved a request from NC Development Holdings, which is linked to Maryland-based Cordish Companies, the operator of Live!-branded casinos in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The land, situated north of Camp Carefree and west of US 220, was rezoned from a "residential/agricultural" classification to a "highway commercial" category. Now, Camp Carefree, a free summer camp for disabled and chronically ill children that has been around for close to four decades, leads seven plaintiffs who allege local officials made errors approving the rezoning. The lawsuit also accuses NC Development Holdings of failing to provide a detailed explanation for the desired rezoning.
Both Rockingham County and NC Development Holdings are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Claims About Backroom Deals
While commissioners remained silent about their rationale for quickly approving the rezoning request, rumors emerged that Senate President Pro Tempore (R-Rockingham), Phil Berger, was secretly negotiating with Cordish to allow the casino developer and operator to establish casinos in Rockingham, Anson, and Nash counties. His son, Kevin Berger, one of the five commissioners who voted for the rezoning, received over $34,000 in donations from Cordish and other state Republicans. The development company also allegedly treated the Rockingham commissioners to a trip to their Live! Casino & Hotel in Maryland.
Although unsuccessful in his attempt to legalize commercial casinos through the state's 2023-25 budget, Berger advocated for North Carolina to follow Virginia's lead in introducing casinos in-state.
The lawsuit alleges violations of Rockingham County's Unified Development Ordinance rules, disregard for surrounding land uses, and illegal contract zoning.
"We are deeply concerned about the judgment of local and state officials who think it's a good idea to place a casino next to a beloved children's camp that has served disabled and special needs children and their families for nearly forty years," expressed the plaintiffs in a statement.
"Perhaps if these elected officials had visited Camp Carefree this past summer and spent time with our campers rather than traveling to a casino in Maryland, they would understand how crucial it is to maintain our community. We hope that this rezoning lawsuit sheds light on the need for transparency and accountability from our elected officials," continued the statement.
Deceived Landowner
The lawsuit also involves the landowners who agreed to sell the nearly 193 acres comprised of the land. However, a landowner in Nash, Kent Dozier, who had agreed to sell his property along Dozier Road, says he was deceived into accepting the terms.
"I call it deception," Dozier informed CBS17 last month. He emphasized that he was never informed about the connection between NC Development Holdings and a casino developer.
"I've never bought a lottery ticket. I don't gamble," Dozier emphasized. "I can't imagine putting hard-earned money towards a chance, knowing that they're designed to take your money."
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Source: www.casino.org
