Slots will bring change

The resolution would be a mere formality, said Community Development Director Bob Beyer; the council has no real say in the matter. In fact, Beyer said it's almost certain the slot machines will come to town if the initiative passes all legal hurdles.

Now all eyes are on the Gaming Revenue Act of 2004.

The initiative is just one of four aiming to get on the November ballot. The initiative could allow slot machines at 11 card rooms and five race tracks statewide, including Bay Meadows in San Mateo. If it passes all the legal hurdles, it could light up about 3,000 slot machines at the track.

To put things in perspective, there are 669 slot machines at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

The wager

The Bay Meadows Land Company plans to handle itself in "first class way" if it does end up bringing slots to the track, said company president Terry Fancher. But right now, Fancher said it's too early to tell if the company would even pursue the option.

Others are wagering it's a foregone conclusion.

"The money [the slot machines] would bring is so great I don't think they could afford not to do it," Beyer said.

Councilman John Lee has said just the same. Last week, that speculation was fueled when the company took over management of the race track, ending its lease with Magna Entertainment. Lee said he thought it could be a strategic move to be in control of the track in case the gaming initiative prevails.

Company spokesman Adam Alberti said the company would make sure the race track is operated in a "responsible and safe" manner if the slots came to town. The company will review case studies in other states to apply a style that's proper and right for San Mateo, he said.

It's true that slot machines would probably bring in more revenue than the development plans the company is currently pursuing with the city, Alberti said. Yet money isn't the only factor that would determine what path a business ultimately decides to take, he said. Alberti declined to specify what other factors might go into the decision.

One race track, multiple possibilities

In the meantime, the Bay Meadows Land Company has presented city officials with a plan that would create 1,250 residential units, 1.25 million square feet of office space and 150,000 square feet of retail space on the 83 acres where the track currently stands.

For now, Fancher said the company is just focusing on working out this development plan and operating the track.

Whether the company ultimately pursues the development will depend largely on just what conditions the city approves, Alberti said.

The threat of slot machines - which may never materialize - could just be a bargaining chip in getting the development the company wants, Beyer said.

While city officials oppose the slot machines, some prefer the idea to the development plans currently being entertained. Just ask San Mateo resident Donna Bischoff, who is known in the community for wanting to preserve the historic race track.

When weighed against the demolition of the historic track, Bischoff said the prospect of slot machines isn't necessarily a bad one.

The revenue from the machines would help save the track from demolition, she said.

On top of that, Bischoff said city and county officials are overstating the effects slot machines could have on the city. Towns like Ashland, Ore. and Lake Tahoe that have gambling don't necessarily have high crime rates, she said.

"Gambling doesn't frighten me," said Bischoff.

In the worst-case scenario, Bischoff said the slot machines could bring more transients to the city.

City Attorney Shawn Mason said the company might have its cake and eat it too.

After bringing in 3,000 slot machines, Mason has said the company could still try to tear down the track and pursue alternative development plans - an option Bischoff said never occurred to her. With slot machines as the center piece, Beyer said development plans could change to focus on more hotels as well.

"Sure it's possible," Alberti said. "But it's not something we've planned for. We'll make decisions once the initiative passes."

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.