WHEELING – Members of Wheeling City Council on Tuesday night voted unanimously to support action that will allow a developer to open a drive-thru convenience store with a gaming parlor on Wheeling Island.

A number of Wheeling Island residents spoke out against the resolution Tuesday, but Ward 2 Councilman Ben Seidler and Mayor Denny Magruder took efforts to reassure concerned citizens that this new establishment on Zane Street in the former WesBanco bank branch building will offer grocery items and other goods that are needed by consumers in this neighborhood.

Those speaking against the measure stressed the fact that Wheeling Island is already peppered with limited video lottery gaming parlors. The proposed Bogey’s Carryout location at 141 Zane St. will include a gambling machine room in order to offset costs for the drive-thru and overhead, according to the developer.

Seidler noted that he would be adamantly against a standalone gaming parlor at this site or anywhere else on the Island, but he stressed that there is a need for a drive-thru and carryout in this neighborhood, particularly since the Wheeling Island Convenient store closed.

“We’re talking about approximately 2,000 square feet of a convenience type of store,” Seidler said. “That has been a huge need for the Island. That helps a lot of folks who don’t have the means to get to the grocery store.”

Wheeling Island already has 14 LVL licensed gaming parlors, Seidler noted, vowing to stand against any new standalone poker rooms in the future.

“But in support of having a legitimate business front with a real business purpose on Wheeling Island with a significant investment in Wheeling Island, I’m OK with having some machines in the back room,” Seidler said.

Developer Larry Lewis of Valley Grove, who operates 15 similar locations including Bogey’s Carryout stores on Washington Avenue and Bethany Pike, also spoke during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Lewis said the mayor and Councilman Seidler spent time visiting other Bogey’s Carryout locations to see what they have to offer. The Zane Street location will be mostly occupied by the drive-thru, he noted.

“I don’t see any way of putting in a hot deli, but I do see enough space there where we can put in some deli cases, make some fresh sandwiches, lunch meats and things of that nature, and build around that for your everyday needs,” Lewis said.

Shaun Viles from Kentucky Street spoke against the resolution.

“I’m opposed to having any more gaming rooms on this Island,” Viles said. “Fourteen in a three-block radius is a lot. I’d hate to say this, but you might as well call this Addiction Island – we have everything that you need for an addiction on that island. We have gambling, beer, cigarettes … even if you have a sex addiction, we have a nudie bar 60 feet from Wheeling Island Stadium. That’s where our children play. We even have stuff if you have a drug addiction problem. You can go to the store and buy stuff to do drugs with, but you can’t get a single loaf of bread or milk.”

Viles said they do want the convenience store, but they don’t want the gaming room.

Susan Downing of North Huron Street agreed.

“If you really want to help our area out, I don’t know why the convenience store couldn’t be standing alone,” she said.

Officials noted that the state regulations are not as stringent as the city code that regulates LVL gaming parlors. This is why applicants must get approval from the city to move forward with new locations.

Courtney Droginske of North Erie Street – president of the Wheeling Island Community Association – said that Wheeling Island should be considered a great place to raise a family.

“The island is not a dumping ground for all things gambling just because we have a casino there,” Droginske said. “Please take into consideration the families it will affect when making these decisions about a neighborhood that you don’t live in. Just like we are believers like you guys are in reviving Wheeling, please be believers in us trying to make Wheeling Island a great place to live like it used to be before the 14 gambling parlors.”

Magruder said that when he was campaigning to be mayor, he knocked on a lot of doors on Wheeling Island.

“The No. 1 thing I heard there was – we don’t have a store,” Magruder said. “We don’t have a decent place to buy bread and milk, eggs and fresh lunchmeat. So it’s going to be very difficult for me to vote against something like this, because this is one of the things that the citizens said they needed.”

According to the mayor, he was satisfied with his visit to the other Bogey’s Carryout locations, which aren’t associated with criminal activity and don’t have any negative impact on the neighborhoods.

“I don’t think council is trying to force another gaming facility down anybody’s throat,” Magruder said. “I think we’re really trying to look out for people and citizens on the Island that reached out to us to make this available. In today’s world, the economy is different. Most of these convenience stores today have either gas stations or gambling parlors – their margins are just so very thin. So for that reason, I will support this ordinance.”

Seidler stressed that the city’s legal department has determined that the business owner has to maintain the business model as presented to the city, and if a new owner would take over the location, the city would have to again approve a new application for a gaming license.

Council members voted unanimously to support the legislation on Tuesday night.