The KOA Kampground on Plymouth Street in Middleborough is located adjacent to the proposed site of the state’s first casino.
Acres of serene woods could be replaced with neon lights and clanging slot machines if a group of Cape Cod Indians gets its way.
On Wednesday, the Mashpee Wampanoags are expected to receive federal recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The designation could clear the way for the tribe to build a casino in a Middleborough forest – roughly one hour south of Boston.
Herbert Strather, a Detroit-based casino developer who underwrote the tribe’s $8 million legal costs for federal recognition, has financed the purchase of 128 acres off Route 44 for $1.76 million. The Wampanoags also have an option to buy an adjacent 225-acre parcel, according to town officials.
The possibility that Canada geese, wild turkeys, spotted turtles, deer and great blue herons may be displaced by a hotel and betting halls has some residents lining up in opposition.
James Reynolds, who owns a home and a flower shop near the proposed site, said there are a large and growing number of people who want the selectmen to reject a casino in the rural community of about 20,000 residents.
“I am not opposed to casino gambling in the state,” he said. “But it belongs somewhere else.”
But Reynolds faces an uphill fight. John Healey, Middleborough’s town manager, said once the federal government designates the tribe, the community has little control over the land. The best the town can do, he explained, is enter into an agreement with the Wampanoags to ensure a financial contribution to Middleborough.
“We don’t have veto power to stop the casino because they are expected to become a sovereign nation this month,” Healey noted. “But they have told us that they want community support.”
Middleborough’s elected officials met with the tribe in March and are expected to participate in further discussions, Healey said. The two sides are hammering out an accord that Healey said will benefit taxpayers.
Officials are betting the Wampanoags will pay up to $100 million for infrastructure improvements. Those upgrades could include the widening of Route 44 and the creation of a series of overpasses that would eliminate lights and intersections along the busy road so residents can travel across town without getting onto the highway. The plan under discussion also would guarantee a so-called flyover road system above the rotary that would connect Route 44 with Interstate 495 and keep gamblers off already-congested roads.
In addition, Middleborough wants an annual payment in lieu of taxes from the tribe that could equal several million dollars, Healey said.
“I know there is some concern from a small but vocal minority,” said Healey. “But I don’t think a casino will change the face of this community.”
‘A Net Positive’
Under a plan envisioned by the town, the casino would be built in the middle of the 353-acre site buffered by the nearby KOA Kampground and conservation land with a direct route off the highway.
“We don’t want any negative impacts to occur so we are anxious to plan out the traffic and other issues,” Healey said. “If we do it right, it could be a net positive for the town.”
Still, Reynolds is skeptical. If Middleborough can’t veto the project, he asked, what incentive would the Mashpee Wampanoags have to provide free cash? “It sounds suspicious to me,” he said. “If we have no choice, how can we negotiate?”
Indian gambling enterprises are big business. Nationwide, there are 225 tribes in 28 states that sponsor casinos. Last year, those halls generated $28.9 billion in betting, hotel and entertainment revenues, according to the National Indian Gaming Association. More than $100 million was returned to local governments under agreements reached with the states.
Since 1993, Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut has contributed $2.4 billion to the state under an agreement that calls for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe to provide 25 percent of slot revenues, according to the state’s Division of Special Revenue. Mohegan Sun, the other well-known Connecticut casino, has donated $1.7 billion since it opened in 1996.
Healey said Middleborough needs new revenue sources and a casino could be part of the solution. Budget cuts have become a way of life for the last decade, he said. Three dozen school employees face layoffs for the next school year, he added, and the town’s annual budget of $64 million is not enough to meet the demands of operating the second-largest town in Massachusetts in terms of area.
“We have been cutting budgets, laying people off and reducing services for years,” said Healey. “Finding new revenue streams has been a major problem. If the tribe pays us several million dollars annually in lieu of taxes, we could provide all the services we are having difficulty offering now.”
Glenn Marshall, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council, did not return repeated calls seeking comment.
At the Flat Iron Café on Middleborough’s Center Street, the talk of a casino was favorable. David Darrah, the diner’s manager, said the town is struggling financially and needs an infusion of cash. “A casino could bring needed revenues because, as it stands now, all the new large commercial projects are going up in surrounding communities.”
Howard Moquin, a 70-year-old lifelong resident, said he too supports the casino. “I think it’s a wonderful idea,” he said. “Let it happen.”
Under state law, an Indian casino would be allowed to operate bingo games. Legislation on Beacon Hill would be required to add slot machines. Gov. Deval Patrick is considering whether to support casinos and has asked a panel to make recommendation by the end of the summer.
Sen. Marc R. Pacheco, a Raynham Democrat whose district includes Middleborough, said he backs a measure that would allow casino gambling as long as the host community supports the concept.
“If voters get a say as to whether they want to have a casino, I favor it,” he said. “Given the fiscal pressures that cities and towns are under, there are only two ways to generate more revenues: a ballot question asking residents to raise taxes or looking for a voluntary way to bring in revenues. It’s a lot more painless if it’s voluntary.”
Middleborough voters will have a chance to voice their opinion on the casino later this year. Opponents recently forced a vote by the selectmen to place a nonbinding referendum on the ballot.
“We want a referendum rather than having the selectmen tell us they have anecdotal evidence suggesting the community supports it,” said Reynolds. “I believe people are either undecided or oppose it.”
