The Shinnecock Indian Nation will continue construction on two electronic billboards on Sunrise Highway despite a cease-and-desist order from New York State. Shinnecock leaders say they do not need permission to build on tribal lands.
The 61-foot billboards would generate advertising revenue for the Shinnecock.
Officials in nearby Southampton Town say the signs are out of character for the rural area. They asked for the state Department of Transportation to review the tribe’s project.
The state issued a cease-and-desist order last week.
Lance Gumbs, with the tribe’s Council of Trustees, says they are within their rights to continue construction on their reservation.
“The Nation owns the land that this project is going on. This is not trust land, this is not ceded land, this is not land that was given to us by the state. This is land that we have owned since time immemorial.”
Gumbs says the billboards have a small footprint, and the order from the DoT is without legal basis.
Both sides are exploring further legal options.
