【cassino 6z】Windsor and Sonoma County Oppose Koi Nation Casino

Windsor and Sonoma County are far from pleased with the federal approval for a Koi Nation casino. Recently, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and Windsor Town Council have held a meeting to discuss taking legal action against the U.S. Department of the Interior’s approval for the tribe’s casino close to Windsor.

It was revealed that the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors had a closed-doors meeting on February 11, 2025. Meanwhile, last week, the Windsor Town Council had a meeting too. In their respective sessions, they discussed resorting to legal action after the U.S. Dept. of the Interior highlighted a fee-to-trust application for the Koi Nation of Northern California on the Shiloh Parcel.

However, neither managed to agree on such legal action against the federal government.

Nearby Tribes Challenge Federal Decision

It should be explained that the recent meetings come right after Windsor and Sonoma County locals have spoken against the casino plans. They asked the Town Council to support the legal challenge by Lytton Rancheria, Dry Creek Rancheria and Cloverdale Rancheria.

In February, these three tribes filed a joint lawsuit to block Koi Nation’s Shiloh Resort & Casino project. They accused the federal government of failing to appropriately discuss the subject with nearby tribes and of unfairness in the gaming license process.

At the same time, the Graton Rancheria has submitted its own suit against the Department of the Interior. The tribe believes that the federal government “steamrolled” four different acts on tribal gaming, along with Graton Rancheria’s sovereign rights.

Graton Chairman Greg Sarris said this in a statement regarding the Koi Nation project:

“The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria continues to fight to reverse the previous Interior Department’s rushed, illegal approval of the Koi Nations’ proposed casino on our tribe’s sacred ancestral lands”

Currently, both Graton Rancheria and Dry Creek Rancheria run gambling operations in the Sonoma County region. Graton’s runs casinos in Rohnert Park and Dry Creek’s in Geyserville, while Lytton Rancheria has a casino location in San Pablo, close to Richmond.

Under the proposal, Koi Nation seeks to launch a casino property which would stretch on more than 530,000 square feet of land. The project is planned to feature over 2,750 slot machines, while offering 105 live table games. The complex would also come with a 260,000-square-foot hotel, touting over 400 rooms for guests.

However, during a Board of Supervisors meeting from February 11, 2025, Koi Nation’s Vice Chair, Dino Beltran, advised Sonoma County to reconsider the legal action. His words were the following:

“The decisions are rarely reversed. This lawsuit will proceed whether you join or not. The Department of the Interior has already considered your comments five times. The reservation on Shiloh Road will be a reservation in perpetuity.”

Also, in last week’s Windsor Town Council meeting, Council member JB Leep excluded himself from the discussion. This is because he lives less than 500 feet from the proposed casino location.

Windsor Mayor Rosa Reynoza explained that this was the first time that Windsor’s administration has discussed the possibility of litigation against the casino project. She did not provide additional details on the legal process.

However, he spoke in the February 11 Board of Supervisors session, noting that the desired site near Windsor is on the right spot for a casino. She said that the area is susceptible to disasters.

Windsor Residents Voice Concerns

Windsor residents have also shared their worries about a nearby casino. During last week’s Town Council meeting several residents spoke against the project, citing traffic and environmental impact as concerns.

Here’s what local Catherine Ernst had to say on the matter:

“Traffic and evacuation safety for our community in the event of a disaster have been totally overlooked and inaccurately stated. The roads are already greatly impacted … and the Shiloh freeway exit is the evacuation route for thousands of citizens in an emergency.”

Meanwhile, residents Peg Champion and Brad Whitworth commented that the suggested Koi Nation location is close to a residential area with elementary schools, parks, and religious centres. They argue that the casino and its construction would disturb traffic and pose as a threat to locals and their children. They also highlighted worsening in air quality and climate impacts, and increased traffic and impact on wildlife.

Can Windsor Afford a Legal Battle?

However, one local reckons that a lawsuit may not be the answer and that it wouldn’t be the best use of council funds. This resident is Linda McBride. She opposed the casino project at the south end of Windsor. But she doesn’t believe that Windsor has the funds to take on the tribe and federal government legally.

She noted that tribes have already submitted lawsuits against the project. McBride believes the right thing would be to find a way to support the lawsuits without putting valuable resources into it.

It remains to be seen whether the efforts from Windsor and Sonoma County, along with the legal action from Lytton Rancheria, Dry Creek Rancheria and Cloverdale Rancheria will have any impact on the approval of the casino.