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Led by the Spanish Lake Community Association, residents came to the St. Louis County Planning Commission public hearing Monday night objecting to plans for a casino and entertainment complex near Columbia Bottom.

SLCA president, Dora Gianoulakis, told the planning commission that the Spanish Lake community does not want this casino. She said the development is too intense and not consistent with the Spanish Lake Area Study that has been approved by the County Council in 1999. The County Council also amended the St.

Louis County General Plan and incorporating the Spanish Lake Community Area Study.

Gianoulakis asked those in the audience Monday who opposed the plan and about 75 percent of the audience stood up.

North County Development LLC is seeking the county’s permission to construct the Riverview Casino complex about a mile north of Interstate 270, just south of Columbia Bottom Conservation Area. The complex would include a casino, convention center, hotel, and an 18-hole golf course with 8,000 parking

spaces on 370-plus acres of what is now agricultural acres.

However, prospects for this new casino not only needs the county’s support but Missouri’s backing as state law mandates only 13 casinos permitted in the state of Missouri. The new Lemay casino is number 13, thus one of the existing state casinos would have to close or the Riverview casino group would have to ask the state legislature for a 14^th license. Missouri voters last year approved a provision limiting the state’s number of casinos to 13.

Mark Behlmann, president of the Hazelwood School Board, told the planning commission that the school district favors the casino plan because it would generate an additional $10 million in revenue.

–Bob Lindsey

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