Planners OK SugarHouse

The City Planning Commission, in a hearing frequently interrupted by heckling and booing, yesterday approved the design and development plan for the SugarHouse Casino along the Delaware River in Fishtown.

The commission also approved a zoning change to put the casino in a Commercial Entertainment District.

But no member of City Council has introduced the legislation to create that district, which would be needed for SugarHouse to receive building permits.

That leaves SugarHouse needing help from Council, which in recent months has been more receptive to anti-casino activists.

Councilman Frank DiCicco says he will not introduce the legislation. SugarHouse and another proposed riverfront casino, Foxwoods, in South Philly, would be in his district.

DiCicco yesterday said pressure is building on Council to move forward on the casinos and one of his colleagues might take the rare but not unprecedented action of proposing legislation on zoning inside his district.

SugarHouse faces another roadblock - it owns just 12 of the 22 acres it wants to develop. The state owns the 10-acre shoreline portion of the plot.

Legislation would be necessary in Harrisburg to sell that land, which is in state Rep. Mike O'Brien's district. O'Brien says he won't let that happen until SugarHouse has signed agreements with local community groups.

Those groups have called a moratorium on casino negotiations until the state Supreme Court rules on several appeals challenging the state Gaming Control Board's December decision to award casino licenses to SugarHouse and Foxwoods.

Ian Cope, the architect hired by SugarHouse, praised the approved design as a "cornerstone" for waterfront development.

Cope also told the Planning Commission that SugarHouse has a backup plan to build on just the land it owns, but it would lack open space and attractive buildings.

"I'll tell you as an architect and a Philadelphian, it's not a great plan," Cope added.

Paul Boni, attorney for Casino-Free Philadelphia, urged the commission to hold off on approving the plans, calling it an "unconstitutional" act since SugarHouse does not own some of the parcel.

But City Solicitor Romulo Diaz advised the commission that it could legally vote on the matter.

SugarHouse and city Law Department officials were often greeted with hoots of derision from anti-casino activists, especially when they praised their efforts to work together.

Commission member Pat Eiding lashed out at the audience while complaining about legislation that DiCicco has introduced in Council to slow the process of casino construction.

"Excuse me. I'm talking," Eiding said when someone in the audience heckled him. "I listened to all your bull---- out there."

DiCicco later dismissed Eiding's suggestion that DiCicco's efforts were motivated by an urge to survive last week's primary election.

"He's way off base," DiCicco said, noting that he continues to push the legislation after winning the Democratic primary. *