Ex-Actor, Chumash Plan Community

In the first project of its kind by a California tribe, the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians will seek to convert the property to "Indian country" status, which would prevent state and local planners from exerting any authority over the development.

Members of the tribe voted 72 to 37 this month to approve paying Parker $12 million for approximately 745 acres of rolling farmland about two miles from their reservation, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Under the tentative agreement, scheduled to be announced at a news conference this morning, the Chumash tribe would own 51% of the partnership and Fesspar LLC, a Parker company, would retain 49%, along with primary control over planning and development. The cost of the project is estimated at about $250 million, the sources said.

The chairman of the Chumash, Vincent Armenta, confirmed in an interview that his tribe intended to petition the U.S. Department of Interior to place the land into federal trust. If the petition is approved, the state and county will lose the power to levy taxes, regulate land use, impose environmental restrictions and address effects on traffic, air quality, public safety and schools. All of those matters would be left to the Chumash to determine under the rule of tribal sovereignty.

The scale of the project far exceeds any real estate development in the Santa Ynez community, a rural village about a two-hour drive north of Los Angeles that is dotted with vineyards and livestock ranches and small inns and shops that cater to tourists. The $150-million Chumash Casino, which opened in September, is the largest local employer, and the tribe plans to open an adjacent 106-room hotel in June.

Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gail Marshall said she expected the proposed project to generate "no shortage of rancor" among people in the Santa Ynez Valley. Marshall and many of her constituents have criticized Chumash leaders for failing to divulge plans for their casino in advance.

Armenta said the tribe had decided to disclose its newest development early in the process, giving county officials and residents plenty of time to respond. He promised to consult county elected officials and planners.