Water, Lights and Noise Top Concerns Voiced at Casino Mitigation Meeting

About 70 people made their way to the tucked behind Grocery Outlet, around the corner from the Goodwill Store, to vent their concerns and frustrations to County Supervisors Shirlee Zane and David Rabbitt on Thursday evening over the seemingly inexorable advent of the Graton Rancheria Casino on the outskirts of Rohnert Park.

Water was the overwhelming topic of concern, specifically the potential depletion of the aquifer that would impact not only immediate neighbors in the 1.5 mile radius of the casino, but potentially Rohnert Park and downstream wells in addition.

"Don't let the casino drill a well out there, or they'll suck the aquifer down so quick…" said Rohnert Park resident William Adams, the first to speak.

He was followed by 19 other local and nearby residents, all but two of whom articulated concern, frustration and barely restrained anger over the impending development, and the "arrogant, childish" attitude that Graton Rancheria chairman Greg Sarris displayed in a recent statements to the Press Democrat.

The negotiations are part of a 2004 agreement between the tribe and the county to require mitigation of impact from the casino's development to the local community, an agreement termed "the first of its kind" by deputy county council Jeff Brax.

Should the mitigation negotiation break down, a so-called "baseball arbitration" would come into play, with a third party coming up with a take-it-or-leave it solution.

While many in the audience expressed skepticism of the tribe's good faith in negotiation, even pointing out that they may have violated the terms of payment to the City of Rohnert Park already, the supervisors themselves attempted to assuage their concerns by pointing to a recently updated environmental impact report on the project's website, www.gratoneis.com .

Zane and Rabbitt seemed at pains to keep the discussion focused on what residents believe are mitigateable issues, including water but also education and other socio-economic impacts, health concerns, public safety and fire, storm water runoff, light and noise pollution, and due notification of neighbors of construction.

Even as some residents close to the Wildfred Ave. location of the proposed casino, such as Marilyn Blair, complained that trucks were already waking them with their back-up beeping and other construction sounds, Supervisor Rabbitt said the current activity fell under "equipment mobilization, grading and clearing," and was technically not construction.

The two people present who spoke in positive terms of the project included Chris Snider, an official with the Operations Engineers Local No. 3. "This project is a good economic driver for this area," he said. "It's going to bring lots of jobs, in fact it already has [brought jobs]."

Dorothy Frieberg, a Graton area resident, expressed confidence in the historic land stewardship of Native Americans. "You want to mitigate water? Get rid of your lawns," she said.

Even as Rabbitt tried to encourage attendees to withhold applause and "wave their hands" instead, the fiery statement of Dawna Gallagher drew something close to an ovation. "You've seen the true colors of Greg Sarris," she said, referring to his recent statements threatening to give arbitration money to the state instead of the county. She urged the supervisors to act "as leaders" and be prepared to file suit against the tribe now instead of waiting.

Other concerns voiced included the impact of heavy machinery already in use on rural roads, the lack of oversight on casino management, increased noise and light pollution, traffic, and most of all water quality, flood runoff and well depletion.

One recurrent theme was the negative impact on the "lifestyle" of Sonoma county, and how adversely a suburban casino would affect not only the image of a country life but the reality.

Blair voiced dismay at the impending lights, noise, gambling and traffic, and summarized the point: "It's a culture that we didn't choose to live in, and now we can't sell our houses."

Responding to the evident emotion that many displayed in their statements, Supervisor Zane compared it to "a sense of grief," which she understood from personal experience. She was apparently alluding to the so-called stages of grief, which include denial, anger, frustration, bargaining and acceptance.

"We're hear to listen to you and we're here to represent you," she said in concluding remarks. "We may not get everything we want, but we'll get what we can."

"Listening to you" was the theme messaged by both supervisors, who held a similar meeting on June 12 in Santa Rosa that also solicited input from community members on mitigation in dealings with the Graton Rancheria and Station Casinos. Last night in Rohnert Park, they got an earful.