The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians plans to build a casino and resort on 160 acres next to Twentynine Palms and near the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.

The small tribe already operates Spotlight 29 Casino near Coachella on another section of its 400-acre reservation.

Tribal spokesman Rod Wilson said tentative plans call for a 60,000-square-foot complex with 350 slot machines and other gambling. It would be built under the guidelines of the tribe's current gaming agreement with the state. That compact allows for a second casino but limits the tribe to 2,000 slot machines. Spotlight 29 has about 1,500 slots.

A KOA campground with 100 tent and recreational vehicle spaces would be located next to the casino. Hiking trails also are planned. In the future, the tribe may build a golf course, a 1,000-seat amphitheater and a hotel with 100-plus rooms.

Wilson said the tribe plans to work with city officials and local residents to minimize any negative impact from the project.

"We're going to make sure everyone is continually informed," Wilson said. "I think people will be surprised to see the tribe is going out of its way to do something that's not detrimental to the area."

Twentynine Palms City Manager Michael Tree said in a news release that both the city and the tribe will participate in a public hearing on the casino plan. Tree said he expects a casino would bring financial benefits to the city, but that it also presents potential problems, particularly in light of the region's sensitive ecosystem.

Proximity to Park

Some area residents and special-interest groups were surprised by the proposal. They worry about bright lights from a casino operation, increased traffic and the affects on wildlife and the environment at Joshua Tree National Park.

"I can just envision litter blowing into the park like crazy," said Donna Charpied, a desert environmental activist.

The park had been "under siege," Charpied said, from the proposed-then-defeated Eagle Mountain landfill on the east and the pending Paradise Valley housing development to the southwest.

She called the casino development an inappropriate use of the land, wondering about the amount of pollution generated by busloads of gamblers and where the tribe will get enough water for their resort.

"It's going to be lit up like a Christmas tree. I can't imagine what that will do to the night sky," Charpied said.

Wilson said the tribe, too, is concerned about light pollution.

"You're not going to have flashing neon and stuff you'd typically see at casinos," he said. "They have lighting technology now that allows you to sufficiently light an area but maintain the night sky."

According to a recent survey by the local nonprofit stargazing group Sky's the Limit, more people visit Joshua Tree for star viewing than the rock climbing for which it is renowned. The group is partnering with the National Park Service on a planned $4 million observatory on 10 acres on the east side of Utah Trail at the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.

The observatory is expected to take six years to complete and includes a 200-seat amphitheater and research facilities.

Observatory promoter Jerri Hagman said members of the tribe approached Sky's the Limit six weeks ago to discuss the project.

"I am not worried," said Hagman, owner of the Homestead Inn Bed and Breakfast in Twentynine Palms. "Their history has much to do with the night sky -- the stars and the moon -- so who better to have as neighbors? It could be so much worse, if someone were to put in 300 homes and didn't care about the night sky."

Water, Landscape Concerns

Beyond the lighting issue, some residents expressed concerns about adequate infrastructure and water resources and how the casino might disrupt the desert panorama.

Wilson said the resort will be significantly smaller than other casinos in the desert area, and care would be taken to design the buildings to blend into the landscape.

"First of all, it's going to be low-level structures," Wilson said. "My guess is two stories at the most. Everybody is sensitive to view lines."

Local artist Gretchen Grunt owns a gallery close to the proposed casino and is a lifelong resident. Her mother owns the nearby Twentynine Palms Inn. Guests at the inn, she surmises, will not appreciate the development, no matter how unobtrusive the buildings are.

"They're not going to be just looking at the desert," she said. "They will be looking out at a two-story building. They're going to be disappointed."

On the other hand, Grunt said, business at her gallery could pick up.

"I guess we're the first one down the street when they have their big win," she said. "Hopefully, they'll come wandering in here. I would love to see no change but we all know that that's impossible. So, I have mixed feelings about it."

Addressing Traffic

There was nothing mixed about the feelings of Karen Masterson, owner of the nearby Wonder Garden health food store and café.

"I know you can't print that," she said of her initial comment. "I'm disappointed. It would probably exponentially increase my business and the value of my property. But the bottom line for me is about maintaining the integrity of who we are as a community."

Masterson wondered about the area's ability to support such a project.

"We don't have the road systems to support that kind of traffic," she said. "I can't even see where the water's going to come from. I'm concerned on all kinds of levels."

Wilson said the tribe hopes to adequately address concerns.

"We don't expect everyone in the city to open their arms and embrace it," he said of the project, "but we feel that by sitting down and having broad-based discussions, we can work the issues out."

Reach Mark Muckenfuss at 951-368-9595 or mmuckenfuss@PE.com

Reach Janet Zimmerman at 951-368-9586 or jzimmerman@PE.com

Casino plans

The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians is expected to announce a casino resort on 160 acres of reservation land near Joshua Tree National Park and the city of Twentynine Palms.

The first phase of the tribe's development would include:

A 60,000-square-foot casino with 350 slot machines and table games

A 120-space KOA campground

Hiking trails

Future plans could include:

A 100-plus room resort hotel

A 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater

A retail center

Golf course

Residential properties

A 14,000-square-foot bowling alley and billiards room

SOURCE: Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians