Bravo’s ‘Summer House’ reality show denied filming permit by town
East Hampton town officials denied a film permit that would have allowed producers of the Bravo TV show "Summer House" to film at a home on Napeague Harbor Road, seen here on Saturday, May 27, 2017. Credit: John Roca
East Hampton Town officials have denied a film permit to the producers of the Bravo reality television show “Summer House,” the first enforcement of a law passed last month requiring permits for professional filming on private property.
A representative of Truly Original production company filed the application for a film permit last month, but it was denied as a result of three code violations for 90 Napeague Harbor Rd., the property used to film “Summer House.”
The company had also erroneously filed the permit for 98 Napeague Harbor Rd., a property that doesn’t exist, according to the town’s letter of denial.
“The way the committee looks at the application is not based on content, it’s based on whether it violates the existing laws,” said Harold Graham, deputy town clerk for the Town of East Hampton. “That’s why they came to the decision to deny it.”
Using the residential property to film the stars of “Summer House” every day would classify the film shoot as a commercial operation, which would be in violation of East Hampton Town zoning code, Graham said. Additionally, the zoning code does not allow more than four unrelated persons to live together in the same house.
East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell said the town had monitored the house when the first season of the show was filmed last year, and didn’t have reason to believe that the residence was violating the limit on unrelated persons.
Town officials had also denied the company permission to film at public locations in East Hampton last year.
“It was pretty much an open-ended application, where they wanted to film every weekend in the summer,” Graham said. “ . . . And all the locations they selected were at beaches and public areas that are already way too packed to allow filming like that.”
The show’s producers had also faced criticism from the Chamber of Commerce in Montauk, the hamlet that “Summer House” is meant to take place in, for cultivating a reputation that does not represent the community.
“We’re not moving in the direction of being a party town,” said Laraine Creegan, executive director of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.
A Bravo network spokeswoman said last month that no decision had been made on whether the unscripted television series would return to its original location to film its second season.
Representatives of Truly Original have not corresponded with the Town of East Hampton since the letter of denial was sent on May 10, officials said.
Glenda Hersh, co-president of Truly Original, and Carol Klein, vice president of production, were not available for comment.
