Fess Parker, TV's 'Davy Crockett,' and the Chumash Indians hope to turn Santa Ynez into a vacation paradise. Locals fear a loss of community as the Chumash can ignore zoning through federal law.
In tiny Santa Ynez, local citizens are proud of their small town, and have put up strict zoning regulations to keep big development out. By those standards, the Chumash's new resort (featuring a hotel, golf course, and housing development) could never be built. But through federal law, the Chumash are annexing the property into their reservation, allowing them to bypass local regulations, including zoning. As more tribes acquire casino wealth, much of California could be developed without regard for the local community.
Thanks to Jeffrey Goodman
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