Isle Casino Developers In Hot Water Over Owl Relocation
Summary
- Seven active owl burrows and five owls have been located on-site.
- Animal activists want to see the owls relocated.
- The developer wants to pay $9,500 to avoid relocating the owls.
Residents and members of Project Perch are not happy with recent developments regarding the Isle Casino in Pompano Beah. The property where the casino will be located is home to several owls and the organization wants to ensure the owls will be protected.
Caesars Pompano, the developer behind the project, has just filed an application to pay $9,500 fee to avoid relocating the owls and habitats.
Not Happy with Caesars
Project Perch expected Caesars to ensure the transport of the owls and habitats to protect the species. The group pointed out that the property includes 223 acres of green space and surely there was somewhere that would accommodate the owls.
Chappell Group completed a survey of the site and found there are seven active burrows for owls. There are also five owls living in the space. The report from the group asks that a permit be issued to close the burrows. The mitigation fee of $9,500 goes to the imperiled species fund of the Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Local residents have been watching the owls for some time and want to ensure they are protected. Kelly Heffernan and Nancy Schaut both live in the city and want to see the owls protected. Communication has been attempted between the women and Caesar’s Pompano and the contractor behind the project, the Cordish Company.
The women want to know that the owls will be protected and after not receiving a response, Schaut took up her concern with the city. It appears no one is concerned about the owls, though the mayor did forward Schaut’s concerns to Sandra King, the spokesperson for the city.
Project Perch feels that no mitigating efforts are being made to protect the owls and the casino developer is going to pay to make the problem go away. Schaut pointed out that the developer has denied requests for checkups on the owls.
Rebranding as Harrah’s Casino
The Isle Casino will soon be known as Harrah’s, as the harness track that closed in the spring will be home to a new US casino, offering 15,000 square feet of additional space for gaming. The property will also offer a parking garage and hotel space. The hotel will feature 950.
Along with the casino and hotel, the project includes residential and commercial areas. Over 4,000 multi-family homes are going up plus 300,000 square feet of commercial space.
Doug RamirezAuthor
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