© 2025 WSHU
NPR News & Classical Music
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Southampton files lawsuit against Shinnecock over travel plaza

Molly Ingram
/
WSHU

The Town of Southampton is suing the trustees of the Shinnecock Tribal Nation over the construction of its travel plaza in Hampton Bays.

The town filed a lawsuit Friday against the Nation's trustees; they cannot legally sue the tribe itself. The lawsuit alleges that the construction of the gas station and travel plaza violates zoning ordinances and state and local laws. It also claims the construction of the 10-acre plaza creates a public nuisance.

In August, the Nation broke ground on a new gas station and travel plaza on Newtown Road. The construction has caused complaints from nearby residents, some of whom, including board members, questioned the tribe’s sovereignty on the Westwoods property.

For months, residents have expressed their frustration at town board meetings about the travel plaza being built. At a meeting in September, board members said they consulted town attorneys. They were considering seeking legal advice because of the federal rules regarding tribal sovereignty.

In a previous interview with WSHU, Council Member Michael Iasilli said the tribe has certain protections that the town must consider. Iasilli is the board’s liaison to the tribe. He said the board wants to address residents’ concerns but not go outside federal guidelines regarding tribal sovereignty.

“The frustration is understandable,” Iasilli said. The issue here is that we also have to recognize that this is no ordinary property owner; this is a federally recognized tribal nation. There are certain rights and protections provided to them once they are recognized.”

Because of the federal rules regarding tribal sovereignty, the board sought legal advice and consulted town attorneys. Now, the town is suing to stop the project and will also seek legal fees.

The suit claims the Nation never sought permission to clear the land or install underground tanks for the travel plaza. A Shinnecock spokesperson told Newsday that the tribe doesn't need the town’s permission for the project. They regard the area as sovereign land and, therefore, outside the jurisdiction of state and local laws.

Shinnecock Council of Trustees Vice Chairman Lance Gumbs told Newsday that he “had not seen the complaint but vowed to fight the suit.”

The gas station and travel plaza are being constructed on Shinnecock territory near the electronic billboard monuments the tribe owns. The Nation erected the two 60-foot-tall electronic monuments on Sunrise Highway in 2019. Recently, a New York court ordered the Nation to shut down the two electronic billboards.

The state Appellate Division released a ruling on Dec. 4 that stated the court was wrong to let the tribe continue building the billboards. It reversed a lower court’s 2019 decision not to grant the Department of Transportation an injunction to block the construction.

The Nation said the billboards on either side of Sunrise Highway and the gas station travel plaza would provide the tribe with an additional source of income.

Jeniece Roman is a reporter with WSHU, who is interested in writing about Indigenous communities in southern New England and Long Island, New York.