The Choctaw Nation may very well have to wait another year before they can even try to begin using tribal property as an RV rest stop and five-hundred car parking lot for their Pocola Casino in Oklahoma. Needing a rezoning permit from the Fort Smith Planning Commission in Arkansas, the tribe was denied their request to rezone the property from Open-1 to Industrial 1, since they did not comply with the Commission's request to meet with a nearby homeowner to resolve specific concerns.

The Choctaw's own and manage seven different casinos in Oklahoma, including the Durant Casino Resort and Bingo Hall, Pocola Casino, McAlester, Idabel, Stringtown and Grant Casinos. The land in question for the rezoning is comprised of nearly fifteen acres, and extends into nearby southwestern Arkansas, hence the necessity of going through the Fort Smith Planning Commission. As part of a $10 million expansion that will add 10,000 square feet of interior space to the Pocola Casino and two new parking areas (one which has already been completed on casino property), the secondary parking lot will be necessary for a surge in gamblers passers-through.

According to Fort Smith Senior Planner, Garry Cathcart, the Choctaw property borders three sides of adjacent property that is settled by homeowners, Nathan and Melanie Bradshaw. Responding to concerns from the Bradshaw's, the tribe formulated and submitted a plan to the Commission that proposed for construction of a screening fence around the perimeter of the Bradshaw's bordering property, also calling for tree plantings to help block car lights and noise. The proposal also stated that parking lot lights would be positioned so they would not bleed onto the Bradshaw's property. However, since these adjustments were not discussed over with the Bradshaw's themselves, the Commission denied the rezoning request.

Now, the Choctaw Tribe will have to go through Arkansa's Fort Smith Board of Directors in order to appeal the rezoning denial. They will have ten days to do so, after which time, a denied appeal would mean another year of waiting before getting the parking lot up and running. The tribe has already begun construction of the second casino parking lot, which may end up being a futile project if they do not go further out of their way to accommodate their neighbors who will have to live with the surrounding traffic and noise made by late night casino gamblers and RV travelers.