The St. Louis County Council will vote tonight on the Riverview Casino project proposed by North County Development L.L.C. to rezone 377 acres of Mississippi River bottomland (part of it flood plain) that is directly adjacent to the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area, a natural gem at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and a refuge for migratory birds. A very comprehensive op/ed piece that details all of the reasons why this project is a bad idea appeared in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and can be read, here.
The St. Louis chapter of the Audubon Society has a lot of background information about the impact of this project on is web site, starting here.
As a Missouri taxpayer, I have gladly voted every 10 years to continue the 1/10 cent sales tax for conservation, and that money has gone to develop various Conservation department tracts in the state. One of the most significant has been Columbia Bottoms, since it is within 30 minutes' drive of about half a million St. Louis area urban residents, making it convenient to visit the river, observe the unique Confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, look for rare birds and other wildlife, enjoy the biking and hiking trails and learn through programs at the visitors' center. Building a giant entertainment complex (there is a theater planned, as well as a hotel and a wind farm in addition to the casino, and its 8,000-car parking lot) less than 500 feet from the southern boundary of this natural area is bound to have some impact. Yet our county council is ready to approve this project, proposed by out-of-state investors, even though all of Missouri's gaming licenses are in use at the moment, without even asking for an environmental impact study. No matter how the vote goes tonight, this won't be the end of it, either opposition to this project or another try by the promoters. As I told my councilwoman in a letter this week, I don't gamble, but I do go to Columbia Bottoms. And in 35 years of living in this county, I have never missed voting in an election.
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