Facing opposition, Rockingham commissioners approve rezoning for possible casino

Rockingham County officials approved a zoning request Monday that could pave the way for a casino in the rural county — a win for lawmakers who have been quietly planning a proposed expansion of commercial casinos in the state.

The county’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to rezone 192 acres along U.S. 220 near Madison. The zoning allows for a variety of commercial applications. There are multiple next steps — including a change in state law — that would have to come before a casino could be built. An attorney hired by project opponents in Rockingham County said a lawsuit could be coming to block the project.

The rezoning approval came despite heavy opposition from residents who filled six overflow rooms around the county’s governmental center and a seventh location outdoors broadcasting an audio-only feed for the commission’s regular meeting.

A draft of possible legislation obtained by WRAL last month indicated that state lawmakers want to legalize commercial casinos in several parts of the state, including Rockingham County. The plan, which has not been formally submitted, has support from some of the legislature's top Republican leaders, including Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger, who represents Rockingham County and whose son, Kevin Berger, is a county commissioner.

One of the reasons: Virginia recently authorized new casinos, and there's one just across the state line from Rockingham County, in Danville.

There's also a well funded lobbying push to expand gambling in North Carolina, but so far supporters have struggled to win enough rank-and-file support at the statehouse to approve more casinos. That hasn't stopped preparations, though. Officials in Rocky Mount are hoping to work with a casino developer to build there. In addition to the Rockingham County site along U.S. 220, there's also talk of a competing proposal in nearby Reidsville, where officials held a closed-session economic development meeting last week.

Hundreds of people turned out to Monday night's regular meeting of the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners, which was scheduled in part to discuss the rezoning request, which was filed by an out-of-state developer. Many of attendees said they opposed the request because the land is next to a rustic camp for children with disabilities, Camp Carefree.

“Do what is right,” Kelly Demry, a Madison resident, told commissioners. “Vote no for our community, but most importantly vote no for our children. If you do not, you will get a 'no' vote for me if you seek reelection.”

Much of the audience applauded, and some held up red signs that said “keep our community Great! NO CASINO!”

Commissioners said this part of the county has long been planned for growth, and that taxpayers spent millions on water and sewer improvements in the area designed to draw jobs. Project developers are promising thousands of those.

Commissioners also spoke of the sanctity of property rights, which Commissioner Kevin Berger said used to be a priority for the people of this Republican-leaning county. All five commissioners said they received massive amounts of email against the proposal.

Commissioner Houston Barrow quoted from the Bible to answer people who'd told him to consider his legacy as he took this vote. "The one that examines me is the Lord," he said.

The Cordish Cos., a Baltimore-based casino developer, is pushing for the rezoning through a holding company. The company has been lobbying the legislature to change state law to allow several new casinos, including one in Rockingham County. The draft bill indicates others could be built in Nash and Anson counties, with a fourth casino license set aside for the Lumbee tribe to establish a location in eastern North Carolina.

Will Quick, a Raleigh attorney for the group seeking the rezoning, said the company plans a "high-quality mixed-use development" that would bring more entertainment options to an already growing area. He didn't use the word "casino," but he said that a project on the land — whatever it might be — would be transformational and "make a difference in your county in the future," bringing thousands of jobs.

“There are clearly a lot of folks who have very strong feelings," Quick told commissioners. "I also encourage you to consider the benefits. ... This is the first step in what will be a long partnership.”

Cordish has never publicly said a casino is planned. But residents said it's clearly the project's linchpin. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, now a Republican candidate for governor who attended Monday's meeting, called the connection between the rezoning request and a casino “the worst kept secret in North Carolina.”

“The way this has been handled — the lack of transparency — has not spoken well,” said Walker, who used to represent this area in Congress. “It has come across as a railroad job.”

The issue has divided Republicans, who hold the majority of seats in the General Assembly, locally and around the state. Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, a candidate for lieutenant governor, spoke against the rezoning Monday, saying a casino could increase crime in the area.

“I get it that there are economic benefits … safety and quality of life should not suffer as a result," Page said.

After the unanimous vote, Page consoled opponents who streamed out of the county complex, telling them nothing's approved as long as the General Assembly hasn't voted. Page, and others, want the legislature to require a local referendum before any new casino can be built.

"Stay tuned," he told meeting attendees, "We'll be going to Raleigh."