The 52-table casino, which features poker, blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette and a variety of other games, hasn't drawn many complaints from area residents. And Indian officials say the casino, which raises money for tribal projects, has worked out well. We have been successful ever since the casino opened in August of 1995. The tribe's plans to develop an outdoor amphitheater off state Route 164 between Auburn and Enumclaw, however, have been much more controversial. Thoughts of up 20,000 people clogging the highway on their way to and from what could be noisy concerts in a predominantly rural area have stirred up local residents.
Auburn officials are a bit worried about the amphitheater, too.
We are concerned about adequate controls and monitoring of the crowd. Adding 20,000 concertgoers to the evening rush-hour traffic will cause major problems, Krauss says. Frankly, we don't see how that works. And on weekends it could delay people driving to Mount Rainier, he says. The SuperMall, Emerald Downs and the casino, however, have had a positive impact on the city, says Krauss.