The federal agency that oversees Native American tribes has suggested that the Shinnecock Nation’s ownership of land known as Westwoods may not be subject to local zoning restrictions, intensifying a jurisdictional debate.
The determination by the U.S. Department of Interior — the parent agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs — came as the debate boiled over regarding the 79-acre plot of tribe-owned land in Hampton Bays that is separate from its territory in Southampton. The Shinnecock are reportedly using the letter to appeal a recent appeals court ruling that suggested that a pair of electronic billboard monuments on the side of Route 27 at Westwoods could be shut down. But despite the federal opinion, the Town of Southampton is moving forward with a lawsuit against the Shinnecock seeking to block the tribe’s ongoing construction of a gas station and travel plaza at Westwoods.
