Published January 2003

Stillaguamish Tribe plans casino north of Arlington

By Eric Stevick
Herald Writer

The Stillaguamish Tribe plans to open a casino as early as summer on reservation land north of Arlington, but neighbors fearing an end to their rural lifestyle are hoping to derail the project.

To make room for a 40,000-square-foot casino, the tribe has found homes for residents living on the 20-acre reservation. Some have already moved, said Eddie Goodridge Jr., executive director of the tribe.

“There are people that obviously don’t like it,” Goodridge said. “The tribe is stuck. This is the only property that we can do it on.”

The price tag for the casino project, including finding new homes for tribal members, is about $36 million. Goodridge said the tribal land between I-5 and Highway 9 is not subject to the same land-use permitting process as other properties, and construction is on a fast track.

Nearby landowners are organizing against the project. They are raising a long list of concerns, including the likelihood of hundreds more vehicle trips per day on roads they say are inadequate to handle the increased volume. Other worries include urban sprawl, environmental damage and public safety.

Under a compact with the state, the tribe could open with 425 electronic gaming machines and various gaming tables common at other casinos, Goodridge said.

Ken Childress, a nearby resident, said the tribe clearly has some legal rights, but opponents will study all their options.

Among other strategies, opponents want to lobby elected officials to bring the tribe and state together to discuss a trust land swap that would let the Stillaguamish Tribe build elsewhere.

Regarding concerns over roads, Goodridge said he is confident that the tribe will make the road and infrastructure improvements needed to run the casino. He tried to emphasize the economic possibilities for the tribe of roughly 200 members, noting that the casino could generate 400 jobs for tribal and nontribal members.

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