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California casino plans stalled

CALIFORNIA – As reported by the Berkley Daily Planet: "A major goof has temporarily stalled the approval process for one Richmond-area casino, while signs of movement have been detected for the second.

"The foul-up resulted from the failure to include or consider 60 pages of critical comments by Contra Costa County officials in the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Sugar Bowl Casino in unincorporated North Richmond.

"The Scotts Valley Band of Pomos had partnered with a Florida developer who specializes in packaging tribal casinos to build a $200 million, 225,000-square-foot, 1,940-slot machine Las Vegas-style gambling palace.

"…The EIS, required under the National Environmental Protection Act, is equivalent to the environmental impact report (EIR) required of complex projects under state law.

"…While the Sugar Bowl is purely a gambling parlor, the second project would bring a destination resort, complete with luxury hotel, major entertainment venue, and upscale mall and a posh casino to a shoreline site at Point Molate within Richmond city limits.

"…A divided Richmond City Council has backed both projects in hopes both of badly needed revenues for an aging infrastructure and sorely needed jobs to ameliorate the city's high levels of unemployment, especially among young men of color…"

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