| Updated: 12/22/2011 12:27 am |
Published: 12/22/2011 12:21 am
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Neighbors in Broken Arrow are coming together to fight a plan by Oklahoma’s Kialegee Tribal Town to build a casino, not far from their homes and schools.
"As a mother of three little kids, I don't like the idea of there being a casino less than a mile away from my house," said Laura Parkes.
She’s beyond frustrated about a casino being built near the creek turnpike at 129th East Avenue and 111th street.
Parkes told FOX23 she just found out what was going on Tuesday afternoon before the city council meeting.
Her three children could be attending the elementary school that scheduled to be constructed near the casino.
Parkes says if something isn't done to keep this casino away from her neighborhood she might have to find another option.
"We might choose to move,” Parkes told FOX23.
The Kialegee casino would be across the street from Tulsa tech and from the planned elementary school.
One of Laura's neighbors, Jared Cawley, is an attorney, with a degree from Tulsa University in Indian Law.
He's offered his services free of charge to help Broken Arrow's City Council block the casino from being built on that land.
The city declined. Cawley just hopes they begin to investigate the issue further.
"I want them to ask the simple questions, "Does the tribe have the authority to put a casino there in the first place?" said Cawley.
He questions whether the Kialegee Tribe has jurisdiction outside of their home territory in Wetumka.
"Have they jumped through the legal hoops?" Cawley asked FOX23.
City officials say they're investigating that. They’re also working with the "Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Broken Arrow Public Schools says they own 80 acres in that area.
They add if the casino is built there they'll make sure to build the school as far away from the casino as possible.
FOX23 contacted the Kialegee Tribal Town and have yet to hear back.
Its tribal jurisdictional area reportedly falls within Hughes, McIntosh, and Okfuskee counties.
Broken Arrow City Council is set to take up the issue at is next meeting on January 3rd at 6:30 p.m.
