Wilton Rancheria gaming proposal up for discussion at city meeting

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

An aerial view of an outlet mall under construction in Elk Grove, California, shows the site where the Wilton Rancheria plans to build a casino. Image from Google Maps

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Officials in Elk Grove, California, are meeting to discuss how to move forward with the casino proposed by the Wilton Rancheria.

The tribe's $400 million project depends in part on a land agreement previously approved by the city council. But an opposition group that was financed by non-Indian gaming interests gathered enough signatures to bring the issue up again.

As a result, the city leaders are meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to rescind the land agreement. Or they could schedule a June 6 referendum and let the voters decide, according to a document prepared for the council.

The tribe previously announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the land-into-trust application for the 35.9-acre gaming site. The decision was made on the last full day of the Obama administration but an official notice has not yet appeared in the Federal Register, a step usually taken for similar casino land applications.

The tribe was restored to federal recognition in 2009 after being illegally terminated in the 1950s.

Read More on the Story:
City Council to review petition on casino (The Elk Grove Citizen 2/6)
Special Election For Elk Grove Casino Referendum Among Recommendations at Next City Council Meeting (The Elk Grove News 2/3) $P Federal Register Notices:
Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Revised Draft Conformity Determination for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 14, 2016)
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 29, 2015)
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California (December 4, 2013)

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