The Village of Islandia has announced that the Village Board of Trustees approved a special use permit for Delaware North’s application to operate up to 1,000 Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs), two Suffolk Off-Track Betting kiosks and OTB simulcasts at the Marriott Hotel, located at Exit 58 on the North Service Road of the Long Island Expressway. The application was approved subject to the entry of taxpayer relief agreement within 5 days.
Mayor Allan M. Dorman explained why the Board of Trustees approved the application, citing real tax relief for Village residents, job creation and that the applicant, through the agreement, addressed other concerns regarding the operation of the hotel, including providing adequate security, additional traffic controls, as well as making other concessions, with respect to the facility’s operation.
“We have taken steps to ensure Delaware North’s operation of this hotel and the VLTs will have a minimal impact on the surrounding communities and it will be a hotel operating VLTs, not the other way around. For one, there will be no Vegas-style shows at the hotel,” Mayor Dorman said. “Tony Orlando is not coming to Islandia.”
Specifically, the agreement will:
- Provide more than 200 jobs, with preference given to local residents and job training given to all employees
- Provide around-the-clock security inside and outside the hotel, including surveillance and guard presence and roving patrols in the hotel’s parking lot
- Implement new traffic controls to minimize congestion on local roads
The Village will review the special use permit every two years.
“We anticipate that upon approval of the taxpayer relief agreement, within the first two years, Village taxes will be reduced by up to 50%,” Mayor Dorman said. “This approval provides several significant benefits to the Village and surrounding communities, including real, significant tax relief to Village residents, along with job creation for Suffolk County. It will have a real impact on local Village families and their ability to withstand the high cost of living on Long Island.”
