Irving residents press council over casino zoning; Sands asks city to remove gaming from rezoning request

Dozens of Irving residents told the Irving City Council on the rezoning and a proposed destination resort that would include gaming near the University of Dallas, saying the project would bring crime, trafficking and social harms.

At a council meeting that drew several hours of public comment, speakers described the university and surrounding neighborhoods as family- and education-oriented and urged the council to block changes they said would permit casino gambling in Planned Unit Development 6. After public comments and a presentation by the landowner’s representative, the property owner asked the council to remove the destination-resort and gaming components from its rezoning request and to consider approval of the remaining uses in the proposal.

The city heard repeated testimony from nearby residents. Vicky Norman, who said she has lived in Irving for 26 years, described the University of Dallas as “priceless in forming young adults and volunteering to our city,” and warned that rezoning would “affect this area tremendously.” Erin Perdue, an Irving resident, said in public comment: “Casino gambling will increase all crime, including drugs, prostitution, and other forms. It will swindle the elderly out of their retirement savings and prey upon the young and innocent.”

Michael…