East Hampton set to curb bar noise, crowds

Since last summer, East Hampton has been trying to figure out how to do what no other town in New York State has managed to -- legislate a solution to control the rowdy behavior, illegal parking and noise that spill from busy bars into adjacent communities.

Next month, the town board will debut its proposed solution, a free but mandatory music entertainment permit required at all restaurants, bars and taverns that provide music. The board hopes to have the system in effect by the summer. The permit would be issued each year and comes with several important restrictions:

Outdoor entertainment would be limited to noon-10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and noon-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

All patrons would have to remain on the bar, restaurant or tavern property, and not be on a public right of way, such as the street in front of an establishment, or adjoining private property.

Occupancy of outdoor entertainment space cannot be more than one person for every 7 square feet of space.

East Hampton Deputy Supervisor Theresa Quigley said Monday that the crowds outside these establishments, particularly in Montauk, have resulted in safety and sanitary issues, as well as noise complaints.

"We have a very hot night scene out in Montauk," Quigley said, adding that constituents regularly complain about the crowds and the noise. "We have not had the tools in our arsenal, unfortunately, to control crowds on the exterior of the properties."

Three violations in a year would allow the town to cancel an establishment's entertainment permit, and violations start with fines of $1,000 and go up to $10,000 and/or 15 days in jail for the third violation in 18 months.

The public hearing is set for 7 p.m. May 3 at East Hampton Town Hall.

The town, which has a year-round population of about 20,000 residents, has had difficulty enforcing crowd- and noise-control restrictions because the overflow parking and the drunken behavior on nearby streets isn't the legal responsibility of the bars, and the town police force isn't big enough to control the thousands of people who go from place to place on weekends. And, occupancy limits set to meet fire code standards do not apply to those who are outside the buildings.

While most towns on Long Island have some problems with overcrowding at popular bars, it's a particular problem in the Hamptons, a popular summer destination where the year-round population can triple during the season.

East Hampton has not ignored the problems at those summer bars, but has been thwarted by the time it takes to move violations through court, and the fact that -- at any time -- an owner can declare bankruptcy and form a new corporation for next season. The popular Surf Lodge in Montauk is facing nearly 700 town code violations in East Hampton town justice court, and the case was recently adjourned when the corporation, Edgemere Montauk Llc, hired a new lawyer.

East Hampton isn't the only East End town dealing with such complaints. Southampton regularly sends police to its bars on Dune Road, and Southold and Riverhead have been wrestling with how to control outdoor crowds at vineyards and wineries.

With Stacey Altherr