Northern California - 2018-2026 News Archive

Scotts Valley Indians continue fight for Vallejo casino

August 30, 2019

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians of California claims ancestral ties to 128-acre parcel of land in North Vallejo. In 2016 the tribe applied through the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to transfer that land into federal trust on behalf of the tribe for the purpose of building a casino.

The proposed casino would be located near Interstate 80 and Columbus Parkway. The project would total 400,000 square feet and include a casino, hotel and spa, and housing for the 128 members of the tribe. The estimated construction cost is $700 million.

In February the tribe's federal application was rejected by the U.S. Department of the Interior. A decision paper was released by the Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs stating the Scott Valley tribe did not prove a "significant historical connection" to the land in Vallejo.

Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis says the Scotts Valley Band is extremely upset with the federal decision and has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to seek a reversal.

The Band's lawyer, Patrick Bergin, said the federal decision underestimated much of the historical evidence about ancestral ties to the Vallejo area. Bergin told the Vallejo Times-Herald, "In our view, we met the significant historical connection."

The historical evidence includes expert reports of tribal ancestors living in the Vallejo area, records from the U.S. census, and a written complaint from an 1800's land owner about tribal members living in the area.

In May 2012 the tribe encountered a similar rejection from the Interior Department regarding their plan to build an Indian casino on 30 acres in the East Bay area. The decision cited a "significant historical connection".

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians remain hopeful and committed as they continue their legal fight for a casino.

Point Molate casino proposal is officially dead

April 12, 2018

On Thursday a ruling was made the Oakland federal court house. After 14 years of dispute, a judgement has been made by a federal judge that has ended plans for a proposed casino to be developed near Richmond. The judge also made a ruling that the Native American tribe behind the proposed casino would not receive damages paid by the city.

The Guidiville Rancheria tribe had wanted to transform property at Point Molate into a casino. The property was the former U.S. Navy depot. It is located near the Richmond - San Rafael Bridge on 270 acres.

The city has long opposed the proposed casino project.

Richmond bought the former Navy owned property for $1 in 1995. Proposed plans for development were welcomed by the city in order to figure out what to do with the newly purchased and large property. One proposal was a $1.2 billion casino hotel was presented in 2004 by the tribe based in Ukiah. The casino would have been built over three acres.

In 2010 the plans were denied by the voters in Richmond. The following year the proposal was also rejected by the City Council. The lawsuit continued until the federal judge made the final decision.

$750 million in damages was what the tribe had asked for. This was due to the millions that were lost of the proposal.

The casino project will not continue. The tribe will also not receive any money from damages under the judges ruling.