Clash looms as residents oppose Hard Rock ‘Mega Casino’(Update)

Santo Domingo.- The Neighborhood boards of several upscalesectors on Thursday said they’re opposed to the construction of the Hard RockHotel & Casino, on Lincoln Av. with Aybar St. in the capital.

The representatives from Piantini, Yolanda Morales, Paraiso,Naco and Esteva West-Serralles say the promoters seek to justify the project byaffirming that it doesn’t harm the environment, "as if the environmentalimpact refers only to the particular aspects of solid and liquid waste andother similar aspect."

They invite residents of the central sector to the publichearing over the project, set for 3pm at Hotel Barcelo (formerly Lina).

They demand that Hard Rock’s environmental assessment includesthe impact on people’s lives, and its environmental sustainability that isn’t justthe physical, but also human and social. "No activity or project isenvironmentally sustainable if it has a negative impact in the lives of people,on their surroundings and introduces significant changes in their habitat."

Permit

In a stamen the residents note that despite the project’s "groundbreaking" staged last February, Hard Rock has only preliminary permits thus far,which in their view doesn’t does authorize start of construction.

"It’s because of this, as part of the assessmentprocess for the Environmental License, that Environment (Ministry) has requiredthis public hearing of the developers, which will again give the community theopportunity to express their objections."

Mega-casino

Undercurrent zoning law only 23 floors are allowed in the area where the promotersplan the 38-story building “Mega Casino,” that will feature thousands of slotmachines.