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Area residents will have two chances next month to weigh in on Colonial Downs Group Inc.鈥檚 proposed gaming resort in Dumfries.
At its meeting Wednesday evening, the Dumfries Town Council authorized public hearings on the company鈥檚 requests for a rezoning and conditional-use permit.聽 The proposal will go before the Planning Commission on Sept. 13 and Town Council on Sept. 21. Both meetings will be at Town Hall.
Colonial Downs, which runs a Rosie鈥檚 Gaming Emporium in Dumfries, announced in February聽.聽聽It would include a 50,000-square-foot gaming space, a 250-seat sports bar, eight other bars and restaurants, 7,000 square feet of event space, 200 hotel rooms and a 1,500-seat theater.
The company wants to rezone 93.5 acres at the Potomac Landfill from residential and neighborhood business to planned mixed-use development and obtain a conditional-use permit for the project.
The landfill is at the southeast corner of the Interstate 95 and Va. 234 interchange. In February, the landfill announced it had entered an option agreement to sell 100 acres to Colonial Downs for the project.
A company spokesman has said Colonial Downs plans to finalize the purchase of the landfill in the first quarter of 2022.
Colonial Downs opened its gaming emporium in January, offering slot-like betting on historic horse races.
The proposal for the facility came after t聽that allows Colonial Downs to have up to 1,800 historic horse racing machines at its Dumfries location.聽
During Wednesday鈥檚 meeting, Ebony Lofton was the only speaker during public comment and raised safety, traffic and environmental concerns. She said she 鈥渟trongly believes鈥� the proposal is 鈥渘ot a good idea for the community.鈥�
The council did not weigh in on the proposal prior to the vote. After the meeting, Mayor Derrick Wood highlighted the potential for a high-end hotel, jobs and restaurants for the community. He said it would be an opportunity to get rid of the 鈥渆yesore鈥� of the landfill and draw business to town.
鈥淢y vision for the town has been to make Dumfries a destination place,鈥� Wood added.
