Several nonprofit organizations are now suing the city of Richmond for what they allege was the premature agreement to provide emergency services to a proposed large-scale Indian casino in unincorporated North Richmond. The suit seeks to invalidate the 20-year municipal services agreement between Richmond and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians because the environmental impacts of the proposed 225,000-square-foot casino were not studied beforehand, said attorney Stephan Volker, who represents the plaintiffs. Under the agreement, Richmond would provide the casino with police, fire and public works services. 

The four plaintiffs include a Neighborhood Council, Citizens for East Shore Parks and an individual longtime resident. They filed suit this week in Superior Court in Martinez. According to the plaintiffs in the Contra Costa County suit the concerns are similar to Amador County’s concerns regarding the addition of casinos: traffic-related gridlock, noise, light and general pollution, a strain on water supply and sewer capacity, increased crime and possible damage to the environment from rapid development. The plaintiffs were encouraged to file suit in April, when the decision by the Amador Superior Court to invalidate a similar municipal services agreement between the city of Plymouth and the Ione Band of Miwok Indians was upheld by the appeals court.(