Wednesday, March 20, 2013

San Diego County OPPOSES San Pasqual Tribe's Application for Land into Trust


The County of San Diego has gone on record in opposition to the San Pasqual Tribe's application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put 29 acres into trust—i.e. to make the land part of the reservation.

The County learned of the application on Feb. 11. According to the application the tribe, which operates Valley View Casino, plans to build non-gaming buildings on the land, which was formerly a horse ranch off of Lake Wohlford Road. The buildings include administrative offices, a medical clinic, a recreation center and a fire station.

Currently the reservation consists of three large parcels that are not contiguous. The land that would be put into trust would also not be contiguous to the rest of the reservation.

The County opposes the change because the land use contemplated would be more intensive than was approved last year as part of the County General Plan. Also, the County calculates that it would permanently lose property tax revenue from the land, amounting to about $20,000 a year.

The County also objects to development of this type in a floodplain.

The Valley Center Planning Group last week first learned of the tribe's application. The group's chairman, Oliver Smith, told The Roadrunner, "The VCCPG has had no notice this was in process until I received the email from Dixie Switzer at the county latest Wednesday. The planning group Tribal Liaison Subcommittee is now looking at it. I anticipate a recommendation from them for the full group to vote on at our April 8th regular meeting."


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I’m opposed to san Pasqual disenrollment but to buy land and put it in trust then develop nongaming on is what gaming was meant for. This matter should be out of the counties hand anyways this is a federal application. Congress has to consider the counties lost tax on 29 acres or to keep tribes dependent on gaming and not let them diversify. Any business develop on trust land is still taxed even the casinos are taxed.

OPechanga said...

A tribe that harms their people is a tribe that would not be a good business partner. If they will cheat their own, they will cheat others.

URBAN NATIVE said...

..I wonder if Mr. Dixie Switzer from the San diego County knows..that That Hes dealing with A Fake tribal chairman..and not THE REAL SAN PASQUAL TRIBE..LOL!..He is from Grande Mesa not from San pasqual and Hes Also had a Construction company that cheated the U.S.A. Government thousand of dollars..~>.A.E.L. construction..ALLEN LAWSON CONSTRUCTION..