A new, ad-hoc committee called the Hamptons Neighborhood Group — consisting of more than 140 property owners and "interested parties" — will hold a Zoom meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to discuss the Shinnecock Indian Nation's proposed casino.
The group says on its website that it is "a committee of concerned Hamptons residents who want to preserve the idyllic natural surroundings of our community. We are sympathetic to the plight of the Shinnecock Nation and are committed to working with them to locate a more suitable location for their proposed 76,000-square-foot casino."
In February, the Shinnecocks announced plans to build a casino and entertainment center on their territory. Plans include a bingo parlor, 1,000 video-lottery games, 30 Texas Hold 'Em table games, dining establishments, and "appropriate, right-sized" entertainment venues. The casino plan immediately attracted several prominent opponents, among them Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman and State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr.
On Feb. 17, when the Shinnecock Nation unveiled the proposed casino, it issued a statement saying that its ancestral lands were taken from them "many years ago" and that "New York State has refused to meet with us regarding stolen land claims that were filed over many decades. We have tried to resolve these issues over the last decade by proposing to find more suitable locations on Long Island, but were rebuffed. We have waited long enough and have decided to proceed here on our territory."
A representative of the Shinnecock Indian Nation could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.
The Zoom link for Tuesday's community meeting will posted at on the website.
