The Parkwest Casino 580 expansion project, including its operational growth and the construction of a new parking lot, is up for discussion at the Livermore City Council meeting on Monday evening.
If approved, the casino would have permission to operate 24/7 with 16 card tables and bet limits set at $1,000. It would also permit them to host backline betting of up to 10 standing players per table and the play of any game not prohibited by the state, including Pai Gow with tiles.
The changes would mark an expansion from its current status as operating 24-hours a day six days a week, with a nine-hour closure on Mondays; allowing 10 card tables with 10 seated players per table; limiting bets to $200 and prohibiting Pai Gow with tiles.
The project comes before the council following the unanimous support of the Livermore Planning Commission at a meeting Jan. 7.
The project also includes amendments to the city code, according to the staff report prepared by Livermore special projects coordinator Susan Frost.
Amendments to the code would include increasing the total number of card tables permitted citywide by creating a numerical maximum instead of a population-based value, increasing the number of card tables permitted per gambling establishment, increasing allowable hours of operation, increasing the maximum bet limit, permitting limited backline betting, permitting the play of new card games not prohibited by state law, modifying tournament noticing requirements, modifying the number of cardroom licenses permitted per person and miscellaneous amendments intended for clarification, according to Frost.
As for parking, Parkwest Casino 580 seeks permission to develop a new surface lot with 230 spaces. The new parking lot would accommodate cars for the proposed expansion as well as those currently overflowing onto Doolan Road and Collier Canyon Road.
If approved by the council, Parkwest Casino 580 would become responsible for paying the city $4,800 per table per month instead of $1,890 per table per month. The new net revenue is estimated to total $695,000 annually, in addition to the existing revenue of approximately $226,900 annually for the tables. The new revenue would be used in part to fund one full-time position in the police department and one in the community development department.
Parkwest Casino 580 would also be required to pay for safety and security equipment including $60,000 for three new traffic cameras, $5,000 for traffic camera maintenance and $24,000 for the purchase, installation and maintenance of license plate readers.
The open-session meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Monday (Feb. 24) in the council chambers at the Civic Center Meeting Hall at 1016 S. Livermore Ave. The full agenda is available here.
In other business
* The council will consider authorizing city staff to negotiate with Adventus Corp. on the terms of a potential development agreement for the 122-acre property at 3658 Las Colinas Road on the edge of Springtown.
The property owner wants to have the land redesignated to hillside conservation with a floating medium-density residential designation, allowing for 14 to 18 dwelling units per acre on the approximately 35-acre portion of the property that was previously cleared for a private high school project that never materialized.
“Staff does not recommend the City Council consider land use designation changes without understanding the tradeoffs. Staff finds that additional community benefit is necessary to justify the change in land use designation,” community development director Brent Smith wrote in his staff report urging the council to allow staff to begin negotiations with the property owner.
Any development agreement would return to the council for final consideration at a later date.
* Councilmembers will receive an update on the 2045 draft General Plan land-use map — part of the city’s ongoing 2045 comprehensive General Plan update.
* They will present a proclamation declaring February as American Heart Month.
— Livermore Vine editorial director Jeremy Walsh contributed to this story.
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