Santa Clara agrees to let city review project

Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2000 | 9:34 a.m.

But city inspectors will act only as advisers, with no legal authority to stop the project.

City and pueblo leaders have wrangled for months over the 46,000-square-foot casino and bowling center, with the pueblo arguing the city has no authority over the venture.

The pueblo, which has a gambling compact with the state, owns the shopping center. Pueblo attorney Richard Hughes has said the shopping center has the same reservation status as the rest of the pueblo because it is within the boundaries of the pueblo's original Spanish land grant.

In a Nov. 8 letter to the pueblo, City Attorney John Lenssen contended the city had authority over the shopping center, and threatened to red tag any work done without proper zoning clearances and building permits.

But after pueblo economic development director Calvin Tafoya briefed the City Council about the project Monday, pueblo Gov. Denny Gutierrez said, "We are in that frame of mind to work with the city of Espanola to get some things done and vice versa."

City Manager Leonard Padilla said Mayor Richard Lucero recently met with Gutierrez to explain the city's position. City officials have argued that as long as the city is responsible for fire protection for a huge building open to the public in the center of town, it has a vested interest in making sure the design and construction met fire codes.

Tafoya told the council the pueblo originally bristled at the notion of city oversight.

"From the business-impact standpoint, when we were up-front approached and said, 'We need you to get a building permit,' just the word 'permit,' made it sound like it was you, the city, asserting control over us," Tafoya said.

However, he said the pueblo has no problem with the idea the city needs to assess the impact of the project on services.

Padilla said it has yet to be determined how much the pueblo will pay for the "building-review permit" from the city.

Councilors had mixed reactions to the project, which is to open in March.

Councilor Joseph Maestas said he was concerned at the prospect of another casino in the area, saying local people don't have disposable income to gamble. However, Councilor Chris Roybal commended the pueblo for pursuing the development.