Officials Vow to Make Sure Casino Plans Are Blocked

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO —  City officials vowed Tuesday to do all they can to halt construction of an Indian gaming casino that opponents say would destroy the city.

“We are clearly concerned,” said City Manager George Scarborough, who has instructed staffers to research ways to block the project. “We do expect to find the city has the ability to prevent construction of a casino . . . if allowed it would be the destruction of our small town.”

The Times disclosed Sunday that the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians signed an agreement with Nevada investors to bring the county its first Las Vegas-style casino.

Under the complex agreement, investors would buy 20 acres of land in San Juan Capistrano and build a casino, administrative office and small museum. Investors would be reimbursed through gaming profits.

The deal relies on the Juanenos winning federal recognition for their tribe, a distinction that could open the door to legal gaming in Orange County. Tribes in San Diego and Riverside counties as well as other parts of the country have already turned to casinos to support themselves.

City officials, including Mayor David M. Swerdlin, have said they support the band’s recognition efforts, but not construction of a casino.

“Once the Juanenos are found to be a tribe,” Scarborough said, “which we do hope will happen, we believe it will be unlikely that a casino will be built. It’s inconsistent with our general plan.”

Scarborough said he expects the City Council to address the casino issue in the near future.

City officials are not the only ones concerned. Disclosure that the agreement with outside investors was made by tribal officers leading a faction of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians has upset many other Juanenos.

“I’ve been getting tons of calls from members who are very, very upset,” said Sonia Johnston, who heads another faction that opposes a casino.

Johnston believes that upon winning federal recognition all contracts and agreements signed by individuals on behalf of all Juanenos would be void.

“In our constitution, it states that no one can give up tribal lands or future tribal lands without a vote of the people,” Johnston said. “No four or five people. These individuals are not the governing body of the nation.”

San Juan Capistrano is the ancestral home of Acjachemen Nation--the original name of the 1,400 Juanenos nationwide, including more than 1,000 in Orange County.