In a prepared statement, the county’s three state senators said they have mailed blank petitions to churches hoping a “strong grassroots effort can help make sure the proposed slots parlor is never built in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.”

One of the two local attorneys planning to install as many as 5,000 slot machines in the Bulova Technologies building at North Queen and Orange streets says they are tuning out much of the criticism.

“We are not going to concern ourselves with people who are not city residents, who are complaining about this project happening,” said James A. Nettleton Jr.

“I can’t tell you how many positive calls we’ve gotten about this,” he continued. “We have received numerous positive calls about our plans from people living in Lancaster County who are total strangers to me. They have been coming out of the woodwork, if you will. It’s been phenomenal.”

Nettleton and a partner in his Manheim Township law firm, Jerome C. Finefrock, announced their plans Wednesday morning.

Since then, the county’s Republican delegation to the General Assembly has voiced strong opposition and vowed to kill the project.

On Friday, state Sens. Gibson E. Armstrong, David “Chip” Brightbill and Noah W. Wenger sent out blank petitions to churches across the county. The petitions are addressed to Tad Decker, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The three senators said in a prepared statement they will mail the completed forms to Decker, and the six other members of the board, in late January.

The petition reads:

“We the undersigned residents of Lancaster County do hereby declare our total and uncompromising opposition to the proposed gambling venue at the Bulova building at North Queen & East Orange Streets in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“We further hereby declare our total and uncompromising opposition to any gambling venue proposed for construction or placement in Lancaster City or County any time in the future.

“We also ask the Gaming Control Board to deny any license application associated with Lancaster County.”

Wenger, a Republican from Stevens, said the petition is designed measure the amount of opposition to the slots parlor.

“During the time when the slots approvals were made (in 2004), I had quite a few letters from churches,” he said. “They did not feel it was a good idea. They were not aware of the possibility of a location here in the county. It would be good to hear what their sentiment is.”