Redding council doubles down on opposition of casino expansion; approves temporary homeless shelter

The Redding City Council reiterated its opposition to the Redding Rancheria’s plan to relocate its Win-River Resort Casino to freeway frontage property near the Sacramento River along unincorporated Shasta County.

By a 4-0 vote Tuesday night, the council approved a cover letter that will be attached to its 2019 letter of opposition to the U.S Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Mayor Michael Dacquisto was absent Tuesday.

It was Vice Mayor Mark Mezzano, who led the meeting in Dacquisto’s absence, who initially made a motion to let the 2019 letter in opposition stand before the council unanimously voted to add the cover letter. Mezzano was elected in 2020 with the help of $31,000 from the Rancheria during his campaign.

The cover letter will accentuate issues such as traffic and could potentially highlight new concerns about the tribe’s desire to build a new casino east of Interstate 5 on Churn Creek Bottom property. Council members Jack Munns and Tenessa Audette will author the cover letter.

Munns, who was not on the council in 2019, said it’s important the BIA knows this is a new council that still opposes the Rancheria’s intent to move the 232 acres, known as the Strawberry Fields, into trust of the federal government for the benefit of the tribe. The move would exempt the undeveloped land that's zoned for agricultural use from both the local taxes and local development regulations that now apply.

Both Munns and Audette won seats on the council in November while Dacquisto was reelected.

“We are a new council. We need to make our stand,” Munns said. “I think this is an issue that the citizens would want us to take a stand on.”

Nearly 20 people got up to speak on the issue Tuesday. Only one person supported the Rancheria’s plan to relocate its casino.

Opponents have concerns about the casino bringing more crime and traffic to the area, and they fear the large-scale development would pave over agricultural land.

Nobody from the Rancheria or a person representing the tribe addressed the council Tuesday.

In a statement to the Record Searchlight, Rancheria CEO Tracy Edwards said the tribe is disappointed.

“It is quite hypocritical for the city to take such a position when it has already approved the Costco project and is actively planning for a large-scale redevelopment on prime river front property at Turtle Bay (Exploration Park),” Edwards’ statement said in part.

Costco relocated to the intersection of South Bonnyview Road and Bechelli Lane in November. The city is currently working on updating its Sacramento Riverfront specific plan.

Edwards said the Rancheria still looks forward to working with the city for the good of the entire community.

“In the meantime, we will continue to support and ensure that we are doing whatever we can to make our community thrive,” she said.

Tuesday’s decision comes in the wake of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors earlier this year reversing its course by voicing support of the casino relocation plan after first opposing it in 2019.

Final approval of the tribe's gambling complex will come from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Redding City Council’s decision to revisit the casino relocation proposal came after the Interior Department's office in Sacramento in November asked the city to answer questions related to taxation, zoning and government services it provides to the tribe-owned Strawberry Fields.

Vice Mayor Mezzano called the 2019 letter “outstanding,” adding that he saw “no issues with it. I don’t know how to make it stronger.”

The Rancheria's proposed project to relocate Win-River includes a 69,541-square-foot casino, a 9-story, 250-room hotel, restaurants, a conference center, an event center, retail and parking. Win-River's current hotel has 84 rooms, while its existing casino off Highway 273 just south of Redding covers about 60,000 square feet.

Tribal officials have said the move would bring more visibility, create more jobs and give the North State an economic boost.

Councilwoman Julie Winter said traffic has gotten worse in the area with the opening of Costco and the Save Mart shopping center across the freeway. She said it’s the council’s job to represent the entire city of Redding.

“We need the tribe and they need us. We are part of one big family,” Winter said, adding that they need to make decisions the help the entire family and not what’s best for the tribe.

Emergency homeless shelter approved

After a robust back-and-forth by one council member over concerns about security, safety and costs, the Redding City Council voted 3-1 on Tuesday to move forward on the Mark Street Emergency Housing Site would be at 3211 Mark Street.

The property is behind the Redding Area Bus Authority headquarters. RABA owns the property and has signed a two-year lease with the city for the purpose of the temporary micro-shelter.

The Mark Street shelter will be operated by United Way of Northern California and will include eight single-occupancy sleeping cabins. It could open in late January or early February.

Audette cast the lone no vote.

She asked if the city had explored other options that would give the city more bang for its buck and voiced concerns about safety because men and women could be living in the same micro-shelter community.

"I love the intent," she said. "But we don't have to do a pallet shelter. It's eight beds. I mean, we could get more hotel rooms for a lower price."

City Manager Barry Tippin will now negotiate with Shasta County an agreement to use $300,000 in county American Rescue Plan Act funds and designate $150,000 of that money to United Way to operate Mark Street.

The city’s housing division has spent $101,318 to purchase eight pallet shelters and installed security fencing, electricity and road improvements to get the Mark Street shelter ready. The city has been told by United Way that its first-year operating budget should not exceed $400,000 and the nonprofit will be providing $250,000 toward the cost.

United Way of Northern California CEO Larry Olmstead said there will be two full-time employees working at the Mark Street site and on-call security available 24 hours a day. Residents will be selected after a thorough screening process, he said, and will have to follow the rules or risk getting expelled from the community.

"If we run this program correctly, in my view there won't be a need for people to be there 24/7 and there won't be a need for security guards," Olmstead said.

But he said if more employees and security are needed, United Way will be prepared to bring them on.

As part of the approval, councilors asked United Way and city staff for a progress report on the shelter after it's been open for 90 days.

"We have to do what we can," Mezzano said. "I think if we do our due diligence and vet the right people" it will work. "We are not just flying off the cuff and doing this. There has been a lot of work."

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding council reiterates opposition of Win-River expansion