Diners at the Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland will soon be able to try their luck at poker after they pass through the buffet line.
The Woodland City Council ended a 25-year ban on cardrooms Monday night by a 5-2 vote. Council members J.J. Burke and Marilee McCall voted against the ordinance.
In February 1985, the city council voted to prohibit commercial public cardrooms in city limits. State law limits gambling in cardrooms to only card games. The ordinance stood for more than two decades until Oak Tree owner Belal Alkhatib asked the council earlier this year to repeal the ban.
Alkhatib plans to create a cardroom in the 50-year-old family restaurant. The restaurant has struggled in the economic downtown, and Alkhatib considers the cardroom a way to increase revenue.
“It’s a huge relief, not only for me but for the 60 employees we have,” he said of the council’s decision.
“In this economy, we need everything,” he added. “We need to help each other.”
Alkhatib said the addition of a cardroom brings many benefits. He plans to hire up to 100 new employees and said the increased traffic in Woodland will benefit other businesses. In addition, the city will generate tax revenue by taking 10 percent of the net winnings.
The city of La Center receives about $3 million a year in tax revenue from its four cardrooms.
Alkhatib said now that the Woodland council decision is final, he and consultants will begin making plans for the cardroom immediately. He wants to open as soon as possible.
The city council approved the first reading of the ordinance ending the ban in September. At the time, McCall raised concerns about allowing cardrooms without restrictions on where they could be located. The city’s code would allow cardrooms in multiple zones, including some residential areas.
As a temporary fix, the council unanimously approved Monday a six-month interim zoning ordinance to limit cardrooms to the highway commercial zone, along both sides of Interstate 5. The interim regulations give the planning commission time to create an overlay district to restrict cardrooms to certain areas of the city. The city of La Center has an overlay district in place.
Woodland’s interim zoning rules will not affect the Oak Tree’s plans, as the restaurant is located in the highway commercial zone at I-5 Exit 21.
Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.
