Nassau civic associations protest proposed Sands casino project at Nassau Coliseum

Nassau civic associations protest proposed Sands casino project at Nassau ColiseumHomeowners from Uniondale and neighboring communities came out Friday morning to demonstrate against the proposed plan to bring a casino to Nassau Coliseum.Las Vegas Sands is hoping to receive a gambling license from the state that could enable them to build a new resort hotel, entertainment complex and casino.Former Gov. David Paterson has been hired to help lobby the community, saying that the plan could bring thousands of permanent jobs and raise property values in the area."This is a plan that's multibillion in terms of the dollars and would have very little impact on the communities around it, other than to raise property values and opportunities for people who live here," said Paterson.However, Las Vegas Sands still needs approval from the state and to win over community members before the plan can move ahead. The latter may not be an easy ask."Proximity to a casino only exacerbates problems with our youth for trouble with long-term dependency and addictions," says Pearl Jacobs, of Nordstrand Gardens Civic Association. "And not only with the addiction issues - we are gonna have a lot of traffic and environmental issues."Sands say it is planning on applying to the state for a gaming license, which could be issued by the end of the year.