Surrounding Communities Sign Anti-Casino Agreement

As Foxwoods Massachusetts developers begin to formalize their plans for a casino in Milford, leaders of several surrounding communities have signed an agreement to coordinate actions relevant to the proposal.

So far Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway and Ashland have officially joined the MetroWest Anti-Casino Coalition, and according to Brian Herr, Hopkinton Selectman and chairman of the coalition, several other towns have expressed interest in participating.

The agreement, which can be seen to the right of this post, outlines some of the goals and worries related to the casino proposal.

Several concerns expressed include increased rates of drunken-driving, displacing of local businesses, elevated crime rates, increased traffic and infrastructure decay.

“The towns of Hopkinton, Ashland, Holliston and Medway recognize that the construction and operation of a resort casino in the town of Milford will have significant detrimental impacts including, but not limited to, those delineated herein, on surrounding communities,” the agreement says. “These significant detrimental impacts are fundamentally incapable of adequate mitigation and will inevitably result in profound adverse changes to the character, environment and quality of life in surrounding communities.”

The agreement goes on to outline the organization of the coalition, the financial contributions provided by each town and specify that all negotiations related to the involved communities with the casino applicant will be conducted by the coalition.