As reported by: The Press Democrat
Greg Sarris, chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, insisted on Tuesday that the tribe doesn't know whether it will ask the city of Rohnert Park to annex a new casino site.

He also said the tribe expects to renegotiate the agreement in which the city would be paid $200 million over 20 years. Some provisions in the memorandum of understanding, he said, are "not relevant" to the new site.

After two years of investigation, the Graton Rancheria and its Las Vegas partner, Station Casinos Inc., announced Friday that they were walking away from property at Stony Point Road and Wilfred Avenue, and transferring plans for a "world-class casino" to land adjoining the Rohnert Park city limits.

The announcement came as a surprise. Sonoma County Supervisor Tim Smith and Rohnert Mayor Jake Mackenzie said they learned of the change only hours before the announcement, and the reasons behind the decision were not explained.

The news triggered speculation about problems with the previous site and about the likelihood that the casino operators would be asking to connect to city sewer and water systems.

Was it the cost and difficulty of building a stand-alone sewer plant at the old site? The environmental impacts on the Laguna de Santa Rosa? The threat to a federally protected salamander? The added cost of transportation improvements? The negative publicity associated with building on otherwise designated open space?


Article By: The Press Democrat