Third District county Supervisor Doreen Farr on Wednesday called the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians “premature” in its move to initiate talks with Santa Barbara County’s chief executive’s office about ways to soften the blow if 1,400 acres of land they own is taken off the property tax roles through a fee-to-trust process.

Instead, she said, the tribe should do what any other prospective applicant would do and make an appointment with the county Planning and Development Department to talk about policy issues and process.

Then the item should come before the Board of Supervisors for a public hearing and a majority vote to direct the CEO to enter into such negotiations.

“I’m just saying that if a talk with the CEO is going to happen, it (the issue) needs to come to the board. I don’t see spending staff time talking about it unless the tribe is successful in taking it (the land) into fee-to-trust,” Farr said.
The tribe wants to add the land, called Camp 4, to their reservation in the Santa Ynez Valley through the federal government’s fee-to-trust process, rather than through a Bureau of Indian Affairs process.

The move, which has been opposed by many in the community and by Farr, would take land from local jurisdiction and place it under sovereign tribal authority. That would make it exempt from local and state taxes and local planning and zoning laws.

Chumash spokeswoman Frances Snyder said this week that the tribe had no comment on the Camp 4 property or its discussions about it.

Additionally, Farr said, she had a face-to-face meeting with the county’s federal lobbyists, Walters and Associates, to stress how important it is that they notify the county of any federal legislation pertaining to a “fee to trust” application by the tribe.

“I want to reiterate again that I do not support a “fee to trust” application for the Camp 4 property, and have asked the tribe to go through the county’s land-use process for any possible development they might want to pursue at that location,” Farr said.

The agriculturally zoned property was purchased by the Chumash in April 2010 from Fess Parker Enterprises for about $40 million, prompting rumors and speculation about what the tribe planned to do with the property.

Tribal officials met with Rep. Elton Gallegly in December, and the congressman said in March that he told them before he made any decisions, they would have to have the support of county supervisors and local elected officials.

The parcel at the intersection of Highway 154 and Armour Ranch Road is the same piece of land the tribe and Fess Parker sought to annex into the tribal reservation in 2004 for developing luxury homes, a resort hotel, two championship golf courses and an equestrian center.

However, the deal fell apart in late 2005 amid a vehement backlash from residents and a failure to negotiate a final agreement on the project between Parker and the Chumash.

Farr said that fee-to-trust is a valuable tool for the government to use for tribes that are struggling economically and trying to provide fiscal stability because the land they have isn’t good.

But, she said, “I don’t think that’s the case here. They (the Chumash) have been able to provide that level of economic prosperity through the gaming that’s allowed on their property. I wouldn’t think they’d need the fee-to-trust.”
The ranch property is the latest piece in the Chumash portfolio outside its Santa Ynez reservation.

Other holdings include Hotel Corque, formerly the Royal Scandinavian Inn, and Root 246 restaurant, both in Solvang, two gas stations in Santa Ynez and an employee resource center in Buellton.