The $800 million Graton Resort & Casino will soon open in Sonoma County for the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria and be the closest tribal casino to San Francisco.
After winning congressional approval in 2000 to be re-established as a recognized tribe in Sonoma County, the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria spent more than a decade to build a casino in Rohnert Park. After reaching separate agreements with Rohnert Park, Sonoma County and the State of California, the tribe's $800 million Graton Resort & Casino, located next to Highway 101, will be closest tribal casino to San Francisco.
"Industry analysts say the new development – with 3,000 slot machines and 144 gambling tables beneath chandeliers that glitter with 24,000 pink glass flower petals – may transform gambling in California, intensifying competition among high-end resorts and the pressure to build casinos near major highways and urban centers," writes Peter Hecht.
There was much local opposition to the casino, but the tribe made improvements such as road upgrades and facade changes. “They have been good partners,” said Rohnert Park Mayor Pam Stafford, who was elected in 2006 as a staunch casino opponent. “They have been very responsible in how they worked with us to see what the impacts would be, and they have been very generous in helping financially to deal with those issues.”
Currently, there are 71 signed and ratified Tribal-State Gaming Compacts in California. Another major casino development is planned near Highway 99 in Madera County, close to Fresno and the greater San Joaquin Valley.
FULL STORY: California’s Largest Casino to Open in Sonoma County
Housing Politics: Think Regionally, Lose Locally
Two Bay Area city council members serving on a regional commission suffered the political consequences of supporting a controversial regional housing initiative, not from their constituents, but from their colleagues.
'By the Numbers': California Shows How to Reopen Safely
Unlike other states that lifted restrictions statewide after coronavirus cases plummeted, California replaced its regional stay-home order with a county-based blueprint, permitting counties to advance based on performance in three health metrics.
The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic
In the absence of federal leadership in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, East Coast states and West Coast counties have collaborated to implement uniform containment strategies to arrest the spread of COVID-19, and it's catching on.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)