Businesses along South Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California, are being told to vacate Indian land by May 31. Image from Google Maps
A group of businesses are still trying to prevent their removal from Indian trust land in Palm Springs, California. The businesses along South Indian Canyon Drive had a lease that expired in 2000. Since then, they have been operating under permits that can be revoked within 30 days notice. The Indian landowners owners informed the businesses that they must leave by May 31. The upset entrepreneurs have appealed to the city and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for help but they don't appear to be getting anywhere. "Never in a million years did I think they would kick us out to the curb in this short time frame," Benjamin Sullivan, the owner of KBC of Palm Springs, one of the affected businesses, told KESQ. Indian allotments are common throughout Palm Springs. Parts of the reservation of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians are also located within city limits. The BIA handles leases for Indian landowners but probates can slow down the process. Recent deaths have impacted the situation along South Indian Canyon Drive, as well as another property where an abandoned car dealership is viewed as a blight and safety hazard. Get the Story:
Dispute over Palm Springs commercial building continues (KESQ 4/8)
Palm Springs dealership stands as an unwelcome landmark (The Palm Springs Desert Sun 4/5)
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