Wednesday, April 15, 1998 | 9:16 a.m.
On Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved an amendment to Imperial Palace's master plan, which the casino needed to get permits to finish and use the floors, which were started without a city building permit.
If Mayor A.J. Holloway signs the resolution passed Tuesday, or if the council overrides a veto, the city will have no choice but to give the permits to Imperial Palace, according to attorneys representing the city and Imperial Palace.
Holloway, who has said he wants to keep the floors from being used, criticized the council's decision.
"Someone needs to stand up to a developer who comes into this city and puts his interests ahead of ours," he said.
But Council President Jim Compton said the council doesn't have the authority to deny Imperial Palace its permits. And it didn't have a legal reason to reject the master plan amendment, he said.
A majority of councilmen wanted to keep the floors closed at one point. Two developments helped to change their minds, including a recent decision by the Federal Aviation Administration that the hotel doesn't present a problem for flight training at Keesler Air Force Base.
Councilmen were also concerned about why city inspectors failed to stop the work. The council stopped the work in December, after a member of the Planning Commission made it a public issue.
During the four months that Imperial Palace illegally worked on the top floors, four city inspectors visited the site 88 times. Holloway says the inspectors missed the work.
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