Despite losing at every venue they have appealed to, residents of the rural community of Jamul, in San Diego County, continue to oppose the opening of the 0 million Jamul Indian Village’s Hollywood Casino at the end of August.
One resident whose court case against the tribe was dismissed in federal court is now appealing.
The casino is being built and will be managed for the tribe by Penn National Gaming.
Having lost in the courts, casino opponents are urging the state to step in. They say the two lane curvy road, known locally as Campo Road, which leads to Highway 94, wasn’t made to accommodate casino traffic. They claim it presents a traffic hazard.
Last week about a hundred protestors stood across the street from the casino. One who has lived in the area 33 years told KUSI TV “There’s accidents all the time. It’s only going to increase it, who knows how much.”
San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who lives in Jamul, and who has fought the casino from the beginning, stood with the protesters and commented, “Cal Trans is not requiring, they are failing to require the necessary safety improvement along this dangerous road before the casino opens… Only a traffic signal at the entrance.” She added, “We’ve had in the last decade 100 DUI events along this highway … We would have the Hollywood horror show.”
Jacob is calling on the state, including the California Department of Transportation (Cal Trans) and the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to rescind the temporary alcohol permit and make improvements to the road before allowing the casino to open.
“I intend to hold them accountable for any and all people who lose their lives or are injured along Highway-94,” Jacob declared.
San Diego County has been the scene of some of the worst wildfires in the history of the state, with one of the worst having happened in 2007. If a fire happens near Jamul, locals worry that the highway won’t be adequate to allow a casino full of people to safely evacuate.
Jacob expressed that view last week: “This is what I worry about the most: We have a fire in the East, Santa Ana winds, We have a collision on 94, cars are backed up, the fire is coming, people are trapped,” she said.
She described her “nightmare scenario” in a recent op-ed:” A big wildfire breaks out in our backcountry and, with the Santa Ana winds, aggressively pushes west. At the same time, a collision occurs on this rural highway. SR-94 turns into a parking lot. Residents can’t escape. Folks in the casino’s gaming halls and bars can’t get out.”
But that’s not the only reason the supervisor opposes the casino. “But Jamul is not Vegas. It’s not Tinsel Town,” she wrote. “The casino, with its big, garish “Hollywood” sign out front, is a slap in the face to a community that has fought for decades to stay as rural as possible.”
But she mainly emphasized the traffic hazard aspect of the casino. Driving rural State Route 94 can be deadly. Since 2005, according to the California Highway Patrol, there have been 1,150 collisions on the highway, from Rancho San Diego through Jamul. Hundreds of people have been injured. Twenty-two killed.”
She added, “Much of the road has the lowest Caltrans safety rating possible — an F. Since 2014, nearly 50 collisions have occurred just along the part of SR-94 near the casino construction site.”
The casino is expected to add 9,000 daily vehicle trips per day.
Jacob blames the Jamul Indian Village for not agreeing to an alternate location from their tiny, three-acre reservation, and she blames Penn National gaming, which, she says, is trying to put lipstick on this pig. The firm is looking to cash in big time, and to heck with the community.”
But she also blames Cal Trans for “allowing the casino to open without all the needed traffic improvements in place. That includes new turn lanes, retaining walls and signals at critical highway intersections, including next to a fire station.”
She adds, “Making matters worse, the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is allowing the casino to serve alcohol before the completion of all the road improvements and before a public hearing on the liquor permit.”
Recently Cal Trans replied to Jacob’s concerns: “Caltrans first priority is to ensure the safety of the motoring public. Caltrans will continue to review the improvements proposed by the JIV that provide for the safe and efficient movement of traffic on State Route 94. As is done with all new operational improvements, Caltrans will monitor the operation of the new signal at Daisy Drive in order to optimize system performance.”
The tribe recently issued a statement about the road’s safety: “The Jamul Indian Village is wholeheartedly devoted to community safety. As such, we have committed approximately $20 million toward roadway improvements identified by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and $3.7 million toward roadway improvements identified in our Memorandum of Understanding with the County of San Diego. We have implemented immediate mitigation efforts including a traffic signal on Highway 94 directly in front of the project for the benefit of the community and casino guests. We are also coordinating with local law enforcement for special event traffic measures. This and other commitments to fire and life safety affirm our strong dedication to being a good neighbor and ensuring the best for our community.”
