Former New Hampshire State Senator Andy Sanborn’s casino proposal has moved closer to construction after a lawsuit challenging the project was rejected, according to the Concord Monitor.
Last July, Concord resident Kassey Cameron filed a lawsuit against the city’s planning and zoning boards in response to the casino’s June approval. She contended that the approval violated zoning regulations prohibiting such establishments, but her request was filed past the deadline, so the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) declined it. Then, she filed a second lawsuit.
While the ZBA decided that Cameron has standing to appeal, a recent ruling from the Merrimack Superior Court overturned the decision. The court stated that her property’s proximity, at about a mile away, did not provide sufficient standing. The court said they understand her concerns about safety and traffic, but they are “too speculative.”
The proposed 43,000-square-foot U.S. casino off Loudon Road would include an 8,500-square-foot restaurant and a microbrewery. The first phase will involve building a 24,000-square-foot gaming room featuring 634 seats.
This update comes after Sanborn received an extension to sell Concord Casino on South Main Street, after being ordered to close it down in January for misusing COVID-19 relief funds. The New Hampshire Lottery Commission has moved the deadline from June 27 to July 18. Sanborn could face a two-year license revocation if he fails to sell the business by this date.
