March 15, 2001 - Environmental report defines Shingle casino

By CANDACE CRANE Staff writer

Plans for the Shingle Springs Rancheria casino complex have so far been the subject of reams of writing, barrels of opposition and bundles of emotion. Swimming somewhere in the midst of it all are the actual plans the Shingle Springs Band of Miwoks have for the project.

With the comments about the environmental assessment due on March 16, it's worth taking a look at what is actually being described in the EA.

The project is moving forward. Tribal Chairman Nick Fonseca is in the process of meeting with all five county supervisors, as well as the heads of county agencies, such as the Sheriff's Department and Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District to discuss the project and get comment about the county's needs. ³We want to work with the county,² said Fonseca.

The tribe will also be hosting a series of public meetings to gather comments on which of three alternative Highway 50 interchange designs people prefer. The meetings will be held at the Diamond Springs Fire Station 7 p.m. March 28, April 5 and April 10.

Spokesperson Rod Wilson said there will be computer-drawn renderings of the interchange available as well as specific site maps showing the location of the casino relative to the rest of the rancheria and to Greenstone area.

³For the first time, people can see all the pieces put together and gain an understanding of the big picture,² said Wilson. He encouraged all to attend and comment. ³This is the information that will form the basis for further discussion of the issues,² he said.

Following is a summary of the project plans as outlined in the EA.

Developers

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok, consisting of 319 Miwok, Maidu and Pomo who all descend from four families, is the developer of the project. Lakes Kar-Shingle Springs is working for the tribe to help them develop, construct and manage the operations of the casino for the first seven years. After that, the tribe will be the only manager.

LKARSS is a partnership consisting of Lakes Gaming of Minnetonka, Minn., which specializes in developing Indian casino resorts and Kean-Argovitz, which specializes in management of tribal projects and government liaison. Dick Bienapfl, Lakes Gaming vice president is the primary project person. Lakes Gaming is a public company listed on the NASDAQ and currently has four Indian casino-resorts up and running.

Location

The casino complex will be situated north of Highway 50, on 40 of the rancheria's current 160 acres. The plot lies well within the interior of the rancheria, so the casino will not be visible from the highway, unlike the tribe's Crystal Mountain tent casino. Fonseca said the tent is being sold to another tribe and will be moved off the property. In its place, the tribe will construct a new health clinic.

Fonseca said the tribe is working to bring into trust the land on the south side of the highway that was once considered for the casino, but said it will be used only for homes for tribal members.

Size and facilities

The casino-hotel complex will cover 381,250 square feet. There will be a four- to five-level garage for 3,000 cars. The casino is expected to add and average of 10,600 car trips per day in the county and draw between 3.5 million and 4 million guest visits annually, including repeats, from the Bay Area, Stockton and Sacramento. The complex should gross $194 million in its first year.

The gaming floor will have 2,000 slot machines and 65 gaming tables. This compares with 6,270 slot machines and 309 gaming tables in the four largest casinos in South Lake Tahoe.

The themed interior will have a smoke evacuation system that will keep the air as smoke free as possible. Alcohol will be served on the gaming floor, but Bienapfl said it will be as well controlled as in any other establishment, with security monitoring consumption and putting people in taxis for a ride home when necessary. By law, the age to enter a casino where alcohol is served is 21.

Child-care will be provided by Kids Quest, a national company with 20 locations around the country in shopping malls and casinos. The tribe is also considering setting up a child care facility for employees.

A 250-room hotel, characterized as a full-service hotel, will be physically integrated with the casino. It will feature an outdoor pool, whirlpool tubs in some rooms and two small meeting rooms for business.

Six restaurants are planned to serve the hotel and casino, including a 600-seat buffet, a ³white tablecloth² steak house and a 24-hour grill. The objective is not just to serve food but to create an experience that will ³delight the guest,² according to Bienapfl.

Access

The EA proposes that the Bureau of Indian Affairs add to the rancheria a 5.6-acre parcel it bought to connects Highway 50 and the rancheria.

The tribe will use this land to build, at its own expense, a new Highway 50 interchange to serve the rancheria. The tribe's engineering consultants working with Caltrans have developed three alternative designs. The public's preference on them will be sought in public meetings scheduled for later this month and early April.

One of the tribe's top priorities is to minimize traffic impacts on the community, so the interchange will route all traffic only to the casino complex.

Design

³You have nothing like it in California so far,² Bienapfl said of the exterior design. Fonseca said his tribe is very concerned that the buildings fit into the country environment and do not cause light pollution. For this reason, the two-story casino will be set into a hillside. Fonseca and his tribe are looking at 11 proposals from architects now.

MarketWater is anticipated supplied by El Dorado Irrigation District, and wastewater will be handled by the tribe's own wastewater treatment plant. The sewer plant's required capacity is 90,000 gallons per day, and the proposal is for two 50,000 gallon-per-day units. The process to be used has the capability of accommodating loads and strengths that exceed domestic wastewater treatment systems and treating wastewater to a recreational quality level.

The tribe is working with the Sheriff's Department to develop a plan for service acceptable to both parties.

Candace Crane can be reached at ccrane@mtdemocrat.net.