Published January
2003
Stillaguamish
Tribe plans casino north of Arlington
By
Eric Stevick
Herald Writer
The Stillaguamish
Tribe plans to open a casino as early as summer on reservation land north
of Arlington, but neighbors fearing an end to their rural lifestyle are
hoping to derail the project.
To make room for
a 40,000-square-foot casino, the tribe has found homes for residents living
on the 20-acre reservation. Some have already moved, said Eddie Goodridge
Jr., executive director of the tribe.
“There are people
that obviously don’t like it,” Goodridge said. “The tribe is stuck. This
is the only property that we can do it on.”
The price tag for
the casino project, including finding new homes for tribal members, is
about $36 million. Goodridge said the tribal land between I-5 and Highway
9 is not subject to the same land-use permitting process as other properties,
and construction is on a fast track.
Nearby landowners
are organizing against the project. They are raising a long list of concerns,
including the likelihood of hundreds more vehicle trips per day on roads
they say are inadequate to handle the increased volume. Other worries
include urban sprawl, environmental damage and public safety.
Under a compact with
the state, the tribe could open with 425 electronic gaming machines and
various gaming tables common at other casinos, Goodridge said.
Ken Childress, a
nearby resident, said the tribe clearly has some legal rights, but opponents
will study all their options.
Among other strategies,
opponents want to lobby elected officials to bring the tribe and state
together to discuss a trust land swap that would let the Stillaguamish
Tribe build elsewhere.
Regarding concerns
over roads, Goodridge said he is confident that the tribe will make the
road and infrastructure improvements needed to run the casino. He tried
to emphasize the economic possibilities for the tribe of roughly 200 members,
noting that the casino could generate 400 jobs for tribal and nontribal
members.
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