In late-March a New York State appeals court heard oral arguments in a case that will determine the fate of a five-year-old lawsuit the state filed against the Shinnecock Nation. While the suit specifically challenges the construction and operation of “the Monuments,” a pair of controversial 61-foot electronic billboards on either side of Sunrise Highway in Hampton Bays, the State Supreme Court Appellate Division’s decision will have far-reaching implications for the Nation’s long-term economic development plans.
The Shinnecock have already begun construction of a gas station/travel plaza on Sunrise Highway near the Monuments billboards. Also in the planning stages are a spa/resort on the Peconic Bay and other development projects, all of which would help fund various tribal assistance programs and provide a much needed boost to the Nation’s finances.
