County approves conditional use for Chester casino and tanning salon

A new video lottery casino will soon be located in Chester.  Lake County Commissioners, acting as a Board of Adjustment, approved a conditional use permit on Tuesday for Shoenrock Properties LLC to open a video lottery casino business called “Snake Eyes” in an existing main street commercial building.  County Zoning Officer Mandi Anderson told commissioners that this type of business is allowed as a conditional use in this area of Chester, which is zoned as Town District.  The business owners are John and Melissa Dougan and Chris and Danielle Shoenrock.  Melissa Dougan said that they have been running the Shipwreck Bar & Grill near Brant Lake for three years, and Shoenrock had owned Chester Mechanical in Chester for nine years, and the casino would be located in a building that has been vacant near that. 

Several residents appeared at Tuesday’s meeting in opposition to the new casino for various reasons, including their concern for more traffic on the road by the business and that it would be taking away from other existing businesses.  One resident said that there are a lot of young families in Chester and that this will not be good for them.  

Brendan Reilly, an attorney for the applicants, said that he wanted the commissioners to consider the conditional use application for what it is.

Commissioner Deb Reinicke said that it would be hard to deny the permit application.

County commissioners, acting as a Board of Adjustment, approved the conditional use for the casino.  They also approved a conditional use from the same applicants to start a tanning salon business next to the casino.  No one spoke in opposition to that application during Tuesday’s meeting.