Aquinnah seeks regional oversight of Wampanoag gaming facility
By Ethan Genter
Posted Feb 5, 2019
Board asks land-use agency to step in as plans for tribal bingo hall remain unclear.
AQUINNAH — The Aquinnah Board of Selectmen has asked the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to step in and oversee Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head’s plans for a bingo hall facility on the west end of the island.
The town and state have fought against the hall, arguing that it violates state and local regulations, and brought a lawsuit all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court declined to hear the case, leaving intact a federal appeals court decision in favor of the tribe’s right to have a gaming facility under the 1988 federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
But Aquinnah officials maintain that more local approvals are needed.
“As you will see, other than seeking a beer and wine permit from the Town, the Tribe has stated that they will not seek any other permits from the Town or from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission,” the board wrote in a letter to Adam Turner, the commission’s executive director, last month. “It is the Town’s position that local and MVC permits are required for this facility. As you are aware, the MVC has jurisdiction over these lands pursuant to its Enabling Act.
“In our view, there has never been a proposed development contemplated in Aquinnah that could have more potential regional impacts than this proposed gaming facility.”
The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is a regional agency that oversees land-use planning and regulates certain development on the island.
The tribe announced a partnership with the Chickasaw Nation’s hospitality enterprise, Global Gaming Solutions, in August, but otherwise public details on the bingo hall have been scarce since the Supreme Court’s decision in January 2018 not to take the case.
Before its letter to the commission, the selectmen wrote to Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, tribal council chairwoman, to confirm details of the gaming facility.
The board wrote that its understanding was that the facility would be on the former property of John Wiener on State Road and would be about 10,000 square feet with about 250 gaming machines. The facility would be serviced by food trucks, the selectmen wrote, but there were no details on hours of operation, parking, use projections and bathrooms.
“Could you kindly confirm that the above is accurate,” the board wrote, asking for a response by Jan. 15.
“We are still in the planning stages but appreciate the open dialogue we had with (Selectman) Jim Newman and (Town Counsel) Ron Rappaport, and we look forward to continuing that conversation,” Andrews-Maltais wrote in response to the board Jan. 18.
She asked for possible dates to meet with board members but wrote that the tribe believes that Selectman Juli Vanderhoop, another tribe member, should recuse herself from any decisions regarding the tribe or its interests because she is involved in a legal dispute with the tribe over a breach of commercial lease.
“Given her conflicting interest, the Tribe does not believe it is appropriate to discuss this or any other Tribal matter with her,” Andrews-Maltais wrote. “We request that the Town look into whether she should be recused under the circumstances.”
Andrews-Maltais, Turner and Newman did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Aquinnah Town Administrator Jeffrey Madison said a meeting between the board and the tribe has not been set up.
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https://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20190205/aquinnah-seeks-regional-oversight-of-wampanoag-gaming-facility
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