The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians proposed in 2016 to build a $700 million, eight-story, 400,000-square-foot casino resort and 24-unit tribal housing project in Vallejo on 160 acres at Interstate 80 and Highway 37 (i.e., Columbus Parkway) next to where the horse boarding facility is now. The latest update posted on the Solano County website on July 11 is that the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is accepting public comments through August 22 on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the casino. Details at https://www.solanocounty.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=2531&TargetID=1
A recent Vallejo Times Herald article coyly observed: “Depending on your opinion of a proposed $700 million Indian casino in Vallejo, you can either credit or curse the city’s namesake, General Mariano Vallejo, if the controversial project wins a federal agency’s approval, possibly by the end of the year. Vallejo and his brother Salvador in the 1830s and 1840s forced many Pomo Indians to travel up to 70 miles south from their ancestral homeland in Northern California to work on ranches near what’s now the city of Vallejo.” Read the full article at https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2024/07/18/brendan-rileys-solano-chronicles-the-latest-on-vallejos-proposed-indian-casino/?ref=vallejosun.com
In a virtual hearing conducted by the BIA on July 23, 2024, the Scotts Valley tribe presented highlights from its EA of the project, and also presented two alternative proposals, one to build the casino without the housing project and a second non-gaming alternative to instead build two hotels and a commercial center. Representatives from tribes that already have casinos in San Pablo, Rohnert Park, and Cache Creek expressed strong opposition, saying that the Scotts Valley tribe was “reservation shopping” because its ancestral grounds are really near Clear Lake. Another tribe with no casino that claims the Vallejo property as its ancestrial grounds also expressed concerns. A representative from the opposition suggested people consider their concerns as detailed at https://protecttribalhomelands.com/.
Representatives from the City of Vallejo and Solano County asked for more time to consider the assessment and there were several requests for the preparation of a full Environmental Impact Study before further consideration. Others at the hearing expressed support for the potential jobs and other economic development that the casino proposal might provide. Some shared concerns that the EA does not fully address potential geological, biological, cultural, transportation, and air quality impacts. To download the EA and learn how to file comments, whether you support or oppose the development or any of its alternatives, visit https://www.scottsvalleycasinoea.com/.
By the way, Indian tribes owning casinos already have a presence in Vallejo. The tribe that owns Cache Creek has acquired the waterfront property downtown next to the ferry terminal that used to be a dentist office and in 2021 the City approved a plan to build a “cultural center and high-end restaurant” there. Details at https://www.vallejosun.com/vallejo-city-council-to-get-update-on-status-of-waterfront-property-near-ferry-terminal/
UPDATE on August 15, 2024: The Solano Land Trust shared with us that they submitted the attached letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs requesting that they do a full environmental study on the project.
TY for the info.