The 128-member Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is moving forward so quietly with its 0 million casino project that the city of Vallejo, California was “stunned” to learn about it.
The 400,000-square foot casino, with a hotel and spa would be built close to the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 37. Later would come a family entertainment center which could have a cinema, arcade and bowling alley. The federal wheels are already turning to get the casino approved and built.
Vallejo City Manager Daniel Keen told KPIX 5: “We were stunned. We were stunned. This is not the first time that there has been proposals to establish casinos in Vallejo or in the Vallejo area. But we didn’t know it had progressed this far.”
Keen said it appeared as the tribe intended to “intentionally exclude the city and any other parties that might have concerns, legitimate concerns, about this.”
The tribe has been working with Las Vegas-based Integrated Resort Development, LLC since the spring of 2015 and by last autumn had identified property, which was purchased this year. In January of this year the tribe applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the land into trust. In August the tribe filed paperwork for gaming on the land. That is the paperwork that set off the public comment period when the state and local governments are informed.
Ray denied that the tribe was trying to pull a fast one on the public, even though nothing requires the tribe to share its plans with anyone either.
“No, there was never any intention to mislead or to do that,” he told KPIX 5.
It may not be illegal, but it is unusual. Only four times before has the paperwork that doesn’t require public notification been filed a significant time ahead of the paperwork that does. Ray says the tribe did it to minimize legal costs.
Ray told KPIX that in retrospect the tribe probably should have proceeded somewhat differently.
Keen wonders why the tribe, which is currently based in Lake County, 90 miles away, picked his city for a casino. He questions the tribe’s connection or interest to the city.
He told the TV station, “This tribe is not one that appears to have any connection.”
Ray brushes that question aside with the argument that its claim to be based in Vallejo derives from the 1851 Treaty of Lu-pi-yu-ma at Clear Lake, which ceded away tribal lands. Ray said, “We know where we’ve been, where we’re from.”
Meanwhile the local congressional delegation, plus U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein have written letters of protest to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Last week she commented, “How much gambling do we need to have in California?” She added, “I’ve seen the buses pull up at housing projects and take people to gambling facilities from here when the Social Security checks come in. Candidly, that’s not a good expenditure of money for these people.”
