To Inspect Guest Rooms

Summer visitors to East Hampton will be able to relax perhaps even more than they planned once the Village Board passes new "guest room" legislation, probably next month. The new law tightens one already on the books assuring fire and safety checks on the roughly 60 village residences whose owners take in paying guests. It requires Thomas Lawrence, the building code enforcement officer, to inspect premises where one or two rooms are rented. Its passage means that those who rent rooms in their owner-occupied, single-family houses must obtain a license to do so by June 1.

Enforcement of the old law has been lax, to say the least, with no licenses issued since 1989, according to Mr. Lawrence, and few, if any, inspections made since then.

Chamber Wants It

The village estimated that roughly 60 homeowners rent one or two rooms in their houses, and that as many as a dozen guest houses, with fewer than five rooms for rent, also do business here.

Larger hostelries, such as the Huntting and Hedges Inns, and Mill House, are subject to inspection by the Suffolk County Health Department.

Citing liability concerns, Marina Van, the executive director of the East Hampton Chamber of Commerce, told the Village Board, at a public hearing on the new law Friday, that "we want licensing and will feel better if there are safety checks."

The Chamber often refers visitors to homeowners willing to rent rooms.

Ms. Van said she wanted to help compile the checklist of safety issues Mr. Lawrence will use.

Gary Reiswig, who owns the J. Harper Poor Cottage on Main Street, which has several rooms for rent, asked the board for "specifics of what will be required of me as a homeowner when the inspector comes into my home."

"We are not trying to be non-user-friendly," said Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr., adding that the village was seeking to "better monitor such establishments for safety, and for the quality of life of the contiguous neighborhoods."

"These safeguards will also protect the owner," said Larry Hillel, owner of Lysander House at 132 Main Street, which also accepts paying guests. "Our old houses have charm. We just want to be involved."

Long-Term Parking

Mr. Lawrence told The Star his checklist would be completed by next week and will address such concerns as smoke detectors, general fire safety, and pool safety.

The board is expected to approve the new law specifying among other requirements, that "one residence may not contain more than two guest rooms," and that licenses must be obtained annually.

Also at Friday's meeting, the board adopted a resolution establishing $250 as the annual 12-month fee for the 1998 East Hampton Town resident long-term parking permit. The village's paid, long-term parking was initiated at the Lumber Lane lot last summer.

In other action, the board:

-- Agreed to pay Universal Steeplejack $1,500 to repair the eagle atop the flagpole on the village green. It will be remounted within the month.

-- Approved a traffic-signal maintenance contract with Johnson Electrical Construction Corporation through Jan. 31, 1999, for $350 a month.