Irving city leaders are speaking out against what appears to be a pressured and hurried vote by the Irving City Council on zoning for gaming.
The debate centers on several tracts of land in Irving at the site of the former Texas Stadium. The land is now owned by a company affiliated with the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, a casino and resort company.
Matt Varble, a former city council candidate and an HR manager, supports the “concept” of a casino, but during the March 4 Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, he denounced the questionable process that could bring the project to fruition.
Varble explained to The Dallas Express that this was a part of a “pattern of behavior” by City Manager Chris Hillman, whom Varble believes negotiates major projects out of the public view and springs them on residents before they have time to adequately deliberate.
In Varble’s telling, the city manager frequently undertakes major projects without the public’s consent or input, including an effort to demolish two city pools and replace them with an aquatic center and another attempt to construct a new town hall in a different spot in the city.
DX asked Varble if he believed the public was being ramrodded into accepting casino gambling.
“Absolutely,” he said.
Varble remarked that the city council practically had “a gun to their head” during the February 27 working session when they were told by Hillman’s deputy, Phillip Sanders, that they needed to bring rezoning to a vote on March 20 to stay competitive in the process. Varble added that in his professional opinion, Hillman is the problem and that he should resign or be terminated.
Some council members shared Varble’s concern that the process was rushed.
DX spoke with Council Member Brad LaMorgese (D2), who explained that the period between the working session and the vote — roughly three weeks — is too short. Although LaMorgese voted during the session to advance the measure, he has not indicated what his final vote will be.
He said the matter should be undertaken over “a good six months with a very thorough process” and include at least three town halls, fireside chats, and other forums to engage and inform the public.
LaMorgese noted that just a few months ago, the council was under the impression that approving zoning for gaming was a matter that would not be addressed until possibly years in the future. He explained that, at the time, the council was only discussing smaller matters, such as “levies and flood control” for the area around the development, and then somewhere along the way, it came to include “gaming or gambling pieces.”
Notably, the city made the proposal for the rezoning, not a representative from the Las Vegas Sands Corporation directly.
“We don’t know what type of gaming the state would approve,” stated LaMorgese, adding that the Las Vegas Sands Corporation “does not know what it is proposing.”
These remarks referred to the fact that casino gambling is currently outlawed under state law, with the exception of Indian casinos on tribal land. The Lone Star State’s gaming laws can only be changed by amending the Texas constitution, which requires two-thirds approval in the Texas House and Senate and the approval of a majority of voters on a statewide ballot.
If Irving’s city council were to rezone the area around the old Dallas Cowboys stadium for gaming, the state would determine what type of casino gambling, if any, would be allowed, and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation would decide what it would offer.
House Joint Resolution 137, introduced by Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth), would allow up to ten new casinos in the state and leave the matter to future lawmakers to determine where they would operate. The measure was introduced last month, but no action has been taken on it yet.
LaMorgese said that while a multi-month public deliberation could make Irving less competitive, it is necessary for what could potentially be a “really transformational project.”
DX reached out to Hillman, who addressed some of the concerns about the process.
“The City always seeks to engage public input on issues affecting residents,” he stated via email.
On the topic of a possible casino, he remarked that “For the amendments to PUD 6 for an integrated destination resort, the developer initiated the process and requested the time frame for the zoning amendments. Staff coordinates and assists all developers and property owners to efficiently move through the City’s zoning entitlement process.”
“The Council makes the ultimate decision on how they want to proceed,” Hillman added. “Your research on Council zoning decisions would show numerous times Council has postponed a zoning case to solicit additional public input or additional information before proceeding to a vote. At the February 27th meeting, the consensus direction of Council directed staff to move forward with the amendment process with the timeline presented.”
“The next discussion with Council is scheduled for March 20th. The Council will then direct staff how they would like to proceed at that time, and staff will move forward accordingly,” Hillman explained.
Regarding the aquatics center, Hillman recalled that “The City held numerous community meetings and charrettes asking for design and amenity input for the three new facilities it is building,” and that “Many adjustments and changes were made from that feedback” after numerous public meetings on the matter.
On the city hall matter, Hillman stated, in part, “The Council discussed this for many months over several work sessions and directed staff to move forward with education and information through all city media tools as well as holding information sessions and public open houses, attended by hundreds.”
Varble did not disagree that there had been changes to the plans for city hall, but he attributed the alterations to a public records request he filled during his 2023 bid for city council, which he said revealed the project had been underway since at least 2022. A cache of several hundred emails Varble shared with DX appears to show Hillman discussing “City Hall Development Feasibility” with various parties as early as 2022.
Elena Blake, president of Irving Republican Women, told DX she would be concerned about crime if the city were to house a casino.
“Irving is not currently keeping on top of regulating or code enforcement” of places like poker houses, she said, adding that the city already has enforcement issues with things such vagrancy, homelessness, pollution, road construction, and other matters.
However, proponents of casinos argue that they are important local economic engines, as The Dallas Express reported. For example, the Naskila Casino’s website states that the casino, which is located just north of Houston, brings $212 million to the region and supports 825 permanent jobs that pay an average wage of $50,000.