REGION: Pauma announces scaled back casino

High-rise hotel will be 19 stories instead of 23

By EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer | Friday, May 9, 2008 7:18 PM PDT ∞

In response to concerns from its Pauma Valley neighbors, the Pauma Band of Mission Indians said Wednesday it plans to scale back its casino expansion.

Officials said a proposed 23-story, high-rise hotel will be reduced to 19 stories. Its proposed casino gambling floor space will be reduced by 10,000 square feet and an outdoor concert venue will be eliminated from the project.

"As a tribal government, we have a responsibility to our community and future generations to work with those around us in pursuit of our common interests," said Chris Devers, chairman of the Pauma tribe.

The changes are outlined in a revised environmental assessment report, a letter to the tribe's neighbors and a press release issued Wednesday.

Pauma Valley residents have said they want to protect the rural character and safety of their community. Some residents said the $300 million expansion, which would include 2,500 slot machines and a 4,000-space parking lot, would look out of place in the agricultural valley of about 7,000 residents.

Devers said the estimated cost of the project, the number of hotel rooms, about 400, and the number of slot machines have not changed.

Residents said in a statement released Wednesday that they welcomed the changes to the project.

"It appears that the (environmental report) which the Pauma tribe is filing does take into account concerns of Pauma Valley residents; albeit not as completely as we may have wished, but more than we expected," according to the letter signed by three residents, Bill Taylor, Charles Mathews and Roger Warburton.

The tribe also said it plans to work with state transportation authorities to install signals at the intersection of Highway 76 and Pauma Reservation Road, which leads to the casino, and will make unspecified "additional" contributions to the Sheriff's Department to offset public safety costs.

In 2006, Pauma announced it would build the expansion project with its partners, the Mashantucket Pequots' Foxwoods Development Co. The Connecticut tribe owns one of the largest casinos in the world.

The tribe opened a small, temporary casino in May 2001 on a 20-acre site, 11 miles east of Interstate 15. A metal-framed tent houses 1,090 slot machines and 22 table games.

Under its gambling agreement with the state, the tribe is required to begin negotiations with the county to help pay for any off-reservation problems caused by the expansion. In past negotiations with other tribes, those costs generally include funding for road improvements, law enforcement and programs for people with gambling problems.

John Snyder, the county's lead negotiator on tribal agreements, said Wednesday he had not seen the tribe's new environmental report. Following the release of the report, the tribe and the county have 55 days to negotiate an agreement, Snyder said.

County officials criticized a draft version of the report released last year, saying the study was incomplete and lacked "credible analysis" on a number of areas, including traffic, water resources, light pollution and fire services.

"I'm interested to see the entire document and see how our comments were addressed," Snyder said Wednesday.

Devers said the tribe had addressed those concerns. It conducted new water studies and entered into an agreement with the Palomar Observatory to address light pollution concerns, he said. The tribe also will develop its own fire department and negotiate a new agreement with the Sheriff's Department, he said.

In addition, the tribe will pay its fair share of the cost for traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 76 and Cole Grade Road, which neighbors said could become dangerous with the extra traffic headed to the casino.

Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.

<b>CORRECTION: Tribe's expansion plan misstated</b>

A story that ran in some editions of Thursday's North County Times regarding Pauma casino's proposed expansion misstated the tribe's plans. Pauma Chairman Chris Devers said the tribe would pay its fair share of the cost of installing traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 76 and Cole Grade Road. <br> We apologize.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.