Henrico neighbors fight Roseshire Gaming Parlor’s liquor license

HANOVER, Va. (WWBT) - Dozens of Henrico County residents packed a Virginia ABC hearing room Tuesday in an effort to prevent the Roseshire gaming parlor from obtaining a liquor license, marking another chapter in the ongoing battle over the site.

The Roseshire has been operating without serving a drop of alcohol since opening at the Staples Mill Shopping Center at the end of September.

Now, neighbors are fighting to keep it that way, attending the ABC license hearing as another opportunity to protest a business they never wanted in their community.

Henrico Supervisor for the Brookland District, Dan Schmitt, brought up that there is a large number of people in the gaming parlor, and adding alcohol to that could be dangerous.

“There are traffic concerns, there are pedestrian safety concerns, there are lighting concerns, there are security concerns,” said Schmitt.

Henrico Police Chief Eric English testified that crime near Rosie’s on Midlothian Turnpike increased by more than 100% after it opened there.

However, attorneys for Colonial Downs, which operates the Roseshire, argued the crime increase cannot be directly linked to the gaming facility.

Linda Willis, who bought her home six years ago, thinking she was moving to an up-and-coming area, said she fears what alcohol sales, coupled with the gaming parlor, could bring to her neighborhood.

“Now, all of a sudden, with this coming in that we’re just very afraid. Very worried,” Willis said.

Colonial Downs’ attorneys countered that other restaurants with ABC licenses already operate near Willis’ home, but she said the Roseshire presents different risks.

“The gambling attached to it because from the way those casinos are set up, there aren’t any windows in there,” she said. “You focus on that game, and you could spend all of your money there, and then you’ve got the bar right there. So I just think it’s a perfect storm,” Willis said.

The underlying issue remains that neighbors said they were never consulted by Colonial Downs before the Roseshire moved to the area.

It’s now making the ABC license hearing another way for the community to oppose the gaming facility.

Witnesses opposing the Roseshire took up most of Tuesday’s hearing time, moving the decision to a later date.

If the judge ultimately grants the Roseshire its liquor license, Henrico County could still appeal that decision, meaning the battle over the site is still far from over.