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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Aimee Rosato, Homeowner in East Elmhurst and Public School Parent
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Aimee Rosato, a homeowner in East Elmhurst and public school parent, testifies against the Queen's Future LLC ULURP application to demap and rezone public parkland for a casino. She urges council members to vote no, citing numerous negative impacts on the community.
- Rosato argues that the project will lead to increased crime, traffic, pollution, lower property values, and harm to local businesses and cultural institutions.
- She criticizes the $163 million community improvement fund as insufficient and claims that the majority of the public opposes the project despite manufactured support.
- Rosato cites studies showing increased crime rates in areas with casinos and expresses concerns about flooding due to the development's location on a wetland.
Aimee Rosato
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Amy Rosado.
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Okay.
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Good morning, council members.
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My name is Amy Rosado, and I'm a homeowner in East Elmhurst and a public school parent.
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Please vote no on the Queen's Future LLC ULURP application to demap and rezone public parkland for our casino.
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This is a choice between protecting the queens we love by voting no or embracing a future with more crime, traffic, pollution, lower property values, and strained local businesses and cultural institutions, not to mention the families destroyed by increase in problem gambling, risky behavior, and displacement.
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This project will irreversibly harm our community with no public benefit.
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A $163,000,000 community improvement fund is pocket change for a billionaire.
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Although billionaire Steve Cohen and his 14 lobbying firms have manufactured a perception of public support, the majority of the public does not want this project as the harms outweigh the benefits.
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It goes against our most pressing needs, including those documented by community boards like mine that voted for the project.
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For instance, according to the community Queen's Community Board three expense and capital priorities fiscal year 2026 report, the number one most pressing issue for us is crime and public safety.
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Casinos lead to an increase in crime.
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This is undisputed.
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Doctor John Kent found that crime increases about ten year 10% each year every year in locales with casinos.
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And what is worse, a study by MIT found that eight point six percent of property crime and 12% of violent crime in in counties with casinos are due to the presence of a casino.
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We don't want or need this.
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Our third most pressing issue is street flooding.
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Queen's future is a 3,700,000 square foot mega development on a wetland, which will make street flooding in our neighborhoods worse.
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It doesn't conform to the unified storm water rules and regulations and will contribute to additional combined sewer overflows into Flushing Bay.
0:49:37
Oversimplifying the choice as one between a park or a parking lot is quite frankly insulting and dismisses the broader negative impacts on our community.
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Vote no to protect the people of Queens.