Tribe's 400-Acre Biz Park Sparks Lawsuit

TULALIP, WA-A lawsuit has been filed against the Tulalip Tribe by a tribal member who alleges that required environmental assessment work was not properly completed before construction. The new business park, Quil Ceda Village and located just north of Marysville, is anchored by Wal-Mart and Home Depot, and a $72 million casino is under construction.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle on July 18, seeks to stop construction until an environmental impact statement is completed. The filer of the suit is developing a 19-home subdivision less than one-half mile away and recently lost a bid to develop a strip center in the Quil Ceda project.

Neither the tribe nor the Bureau of Indian Affairs has commented on the suit. The tribe will likely argue that federal rules are triggered only when the tribes’ buy property that is going to be held in trust by the government. The Quil Ceda Village property is already held in trust, which the tribe will argue means it is therefore not subject to the same rules.