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Motel Bars, Taxi Fines on Tonight’s Agenda

Taxis dropped a group at Cyril's on Napeague Saturday afternoon.
Taxis dropped a group at Cyril's on Napeague Saturday afternoon.
Morgan McGivern
By
Joanne Pilgrim

A proposed law that would keep some motels and resorts from adding a new bar or restaurant to their facilities will be the subject of a hearing Thursday night before the East Hampton Town Board.

In order to “protect the surrounding neighborhoods,” the legislation would prohibit motels in residential areas from adding new “accessory” restaurants or bars, though existing ones would be allowed to keep operating.

In other zoning districts, motels that wish to add a bar or restaurant would be required to undergo town planning board review to obtain a special permit and would have to meet a set of specific standards outlined in the new law.

These standards would limit the area to be used and require that outdoor seating areas be set back twice as far from rear or side yard property lines as is currently required under the code when the neighboring lot is residential. Screening would be required.

Only resorts or motels with at least 25 rooms would be allowed to add a restaurant or bar, and the new facility could only be sited in the business’s main building, not in a freestanding space.

According to the proposed legislation, restaurants and bars at motels have traditionally been viewed as amenities for motel guests. But, it says, they have “caused negative effects to the character of the community, quality of life of the neighbors, and created public health, welfare, and safety concerns by becoming less accessory and growing into a second principal use” at motel properties. Those in residential districts, the town has asserted, are “especially detrimental to the quality of life of the surrounding neighborhood,” causing an increase in traffic, noise, and parking problems.

Also tonight, a hearing will be held on a proposed increase in fines for violations of the town’s taxi licensing laws, which require taxicab company owners to obtain licenses for their businesses and for individual cabs. A business address in the Town of East Hampton is required, as is registration of the cars to the licensed business. A third requirement of the town law, which was revised over a year ago — that taxi drivers be individually licensed after undergoing fingerprinting and a background check — has yet to be implemented. Town officials have said that they expected Suffolk County would implement the procedure under its own taxi licensing law, but that has not occurred.

The town requirements for taxi business licensing are what led to the announcement by Uber, the smartphone app-driven ride service, that it was pulling out of East Hampton. Almost two dozen Uber drivers were cited over Memorial Day weekend for failing to meet the town requirements and will be answering the charges in court next month.

The penalties for misdemeanor violations of the taxi law would be set at a minimum of $500 and maximum of $2,500 for a first violation, increasing to fines of $1,000 to $5,000 for a second conviction, and from $2,500 to $7,500 for a third, according to the proposal that is the subject of tonight’s hearing. Penalties in each case could include imprisonment of up to a year.

Fines for failures to comply with the taxi law that are deemed violations would be at least $250 for a first violation and up to $2,500 for a third and/or up to 15 days in jail.

Additional hearings will be held tonight on the designation of nine town-owned properties as nature preserves and on updates to the list of town lands on which hunting is permitted, removing some properties from the list and adding others. The hearings begin at 6:30 p.m.

 

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