Planning commission gives thumbs down on gaming parlor
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Dec. 7—Another city resident is attempting to bring a skilled gaming parlor to New Castle.
This time, New Castle's planning commission gave a unanimous negative recommendation to city council for a conditional use request for the parlor proposed for a former Sheep Hill daycare facility.
Voting against the measure were commission members Albert Conti, Heather Armstrong and William Morgan. Jeff Fandozzi and Jonah Sally were absent. The commission serves as an advisory board and gives positive or negative recommendations to city council, which has the ultimate approval or denial power.
Kim Long, the owner of a commercially zoned building at 1807 Moravia St., wants to bring 20 gaming machines into that structure, which is currently vacant after housing the ABC Learning Center Childcare daycare. The two-floor building is surrounded by an alley to its left, back and shares a driveway and parking lot with 1809 Moravia St., a home owned by Long and rented out to a tenant.
"I don't want the building to sit empty," Long said. "I want to create a safe, comfortable space for people to come and hang out."
The main issue from Wednesday's meeting was parking. Commission member William Morgan reasoned that all the parking is the 1809 side, but Long said both buildings are on the same deed and lot.
Long said once a fence is down that surrounds a playground area, it will alleviate a lot of the parking issues. She said her son measured the area out and there are 10 spots that will be created without the interior fencing.
Two Balph Avenue neighbors, Albert Williams and Barb Snyder, opposed the plan.
Williams said he's lived at his Balph Avenue home, which borders the rear of the 1809 property, for 35 years and cars have been hit because of speeding in the alley by daycare customers.
"If there was better parking, I'm not saying I'm for it," Snyder said. "Even with the daycare, if there was better parking, it would have been nicer. The parking is a big issue."
In other business at 20-minute meeting, the commission granted a unanimous positive recommendation for a land development plan for Keystone Compliance World to construct several structures for research laboratories at 131 N. Columbus Inner Belt.
