I just watched the first 12 mins of your video with Tribal Chairman Marc Macarro. Knowing a bit about Indian Law, I really DO think Pechanga will be able to make the mountain (that they just bought from Granite Construction for $20.3M) part of their “reservation.” If all goes well, it could take them as little as three years to do this.
Pechanga actually managed to obtain a moratorium in the settlement agreement from Granite that they will not attempt to build a quarry within a 90-mile radius of that mountain!
You have Granite to thank for this as well. They didn’t have to negotiate. $20.3M likely covered most or all of their acquisition and legal costs. It’s even possible they took a small loss to wash their hands of it.
It’s been a lo-o-o-ng, VERY expensive battle for all concerned. See:
[quote=Hobie]Can anyone else envision a giant hotel tower build on that rock overlooking the Temec Valley?[/quote]
LOL, based on Chmn Macarro’s speech, I don’t think the tribe has any plans to develop the site. If they do at all, it will likely be just part of the base (trailhead map board, visitor’s center, restrooms, parking lot, etc). I think they want to make trails (even possibly 4WD trails) on it in order to allow interested groups and individuals to look for clues and possibly locate/excavate archaeology of the tribe’s ancestral remains.
I think it’s wonderful they were able to wrestle it away from Granite and I have full confidence that it will be part of their “reservation” in the coming years. This will prevent ANY gov’t entity from ever trying to take it in the future in eminent domain proceedings.
“Deserving” Native American tribe = 1 Big Development = 0
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