By GAIL WESSON, The Press-Enterprise

San Jacinto and Hemet have received checks totaling almost $900,000 to pay for traffic signals at three intersections.

The signals would help with traffic flow from the Soboba reservation to the rest of the San Jacinto Valley.

The cities and the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians’ signed the mitigation agreement and the cities received checks from the tribe last month. The tribe paid $748,800 to San Jacinto and $142,963 to Hemet, according to the agreement

“As a result of our agreement with them, we have 18 months to install the two signals they’re paying for,” Tim Hults, San Jacinto’s interim city manager, said in a telephone interview.

Environmental studies done in conjunction with the tribe’s application to add the almost 478-acre Oaks Retreat property to the reservation identified potential valley traffic impacts associated with the retreat.

But as the tribe’s so-called fee-to-trust application advanced to Washington, D.C., with a recommendation from the Bureau of Indian Affairs regional office in Sacramento, Hults said the impacts had not been addressed. The city filed an appeal with the federal agency in 2008.

“That was our big issue, was to make sure traffic impacts were dealt with,” Hults said.

Mike Gow, Hemet’s public works director, said, “That agreement certainly puts an end to Hemet’s concerns.”

As part of the agreement, San Jacinto will withdraw its appeal.

Signal lights will be erected at the corner of Soboba Road and Lake Park Drive, the turnoff that leads to the reservation, the tribe’s casino, the tribe’s Country Club at Soboba Springs golf course and nearby city residential neighborhoods. Signals also will go up at Mountain Avenue and Seventh Street, by the Soboba Indian Health Clinic.

Installation of a signal at Soboba Street and Mountain Avenue in the city of Hemet will come either when the area develops near the intersection or when the Ramona Expressway is realigned and upgraded in the area, Gow said by phone. The project is in a planning phase.

The tribe’s payment to Hemet is for the tribe’s fair-share cost of the project. In San Jacinto’s case, signals will be installed and the tribe may be reimbursed if future development benefits from the traffic controls.

The Oaks Retreat is at the end of Castile Canyon Road north of the reservation. The tribe bought the property in 2004 from the Church of Scientology, which operated a school and dormitories there. The tribe has added softball and baseball fields for league play and tournaments, a football training camp and offers conference facilities.

The tribe wanted to add the land to the reservation because of a commitment to regain aboriginal territory and preserve cultural resources, according to application documents.

With the signed agreement in place, Mike Hiles, Soboba tribal information officer, wrote in an e-mail that the tribe is waiting for final approval.

Current activities will continue, and “The tribe is always considering new economic venues that will serve to attract tourism and support destination businesses for the community,” he said by phone.

A controversial request to add another almost 535 acres to the reservation and build a hotel-casino complex near Soboba and Lake Park is pending environmental review.

Reach Gail Wesson at 951-763-3455 or gwesson@PE.com
© 2010 Press-Enterprise Company

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by hunwut
Filed under: Community