No Jet Skis in the Harbors

Changes to the East Hampton Town Code were on the town board’s agenda this week, and hearings will be scheduled soon to gauge public opinion on some of them.

In the face of widespread unhappiness with a plan to open some town launching ramps to use by personal watercraft such as Jet Skis, board members agreed it should not move forward.

The Springs Citizens Advisory Committee, asked by Martin Drew, a Springs resident, on behalf of his brother, to advocate for the proposal, had given its blessing, and Ed Michels, the town’s chief marine patrol officer, backed it as well. The current law bans the watercraft from town harbors.

Councilman Fred Overton, who, as the Springs C.A.C. liaison, brought the issue to the board, told members at Tuesday’s work session that there is “not an overwhelming support for this legislation. There are more concerns that have been raised.” He said he had received about a dozen emails from people who disagreed with the change, and only two in support of it.

“There is nothing that would make me decide to change the status quo,” said Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc. Other board members agreed; the matter will be dropped.

As businesses get ready for the summer season, the board reviewed legislation that would address the recent transformation, particularly in Montauk, of once-quiet motels into destination restaurants or clubs. Resorts and motels may have bars or restaurants on site, but they are considered an “accessory” to the main business of lodging, and primarily for overnight guests.

A number of Montauk motels have also become restaurants or nightspots in their own right, causing neighborhood problems with crowding and noise, especially where the motels are “pre-existing, nonconforming” uses in a residential area — that is, established before zoning laws took effect.

To stem the tide, the board is considering an amendment that would require a special permit from the planning board to add a bar or restaurant. Only businesses with 25 or more rooms would be eligible, and the new facility would have to be housed in an existing building. Music or other entertainment could only take place with a town music entertainment permit, and no amplified outdoor music would be allowed.

The law would additionally require outdoor seating areas to be a certain distance from neighboring residences, twice that of the setback for accessory buildings such as sheds.

The new regulations would not apply to resorts or motels that already have restaurants or bars unless they seek permits for a “substantial expansion,” as defined by the town code. In that case, they would have to meet the new standards.

Laura Michaels of Montauk’s Ditch Plains Association voiced support for the measure at Tuesday’s meeting. The proposed law is a “much-needed initiative,” she said, to address the “rapidly expanding” club scene in Montauk. Another possible change to the zoning code would add flower shops to the list of businesses allowed to operate in the town’s limited-business zones, residential areas where certain kinds of businesses deemed compatible with the neighborhood are allowed.

While most retail businesses are barred from those zones (with the exception of antiques shops and art galleries), a florist or flower shop would be allowed provided that items were not displayed outdoors, nor sales conducted outdoors. Wholesale sales would not be allowed; neither would raising plants on the site.

The proposal came about at the request of Beth Eckhardt, who has to move her business, Amagansett Flowers by Beth, from its spot on Amagansett’s Main Street and is eyeing another Main Street location in the limited-business zone. “It’s a real-life circumstance” that prompted the discussion of the code change, Bill Fleming, her attorney, said this week.

Board members agreed to schedule a hearing on the draft law. “It’s hard to be against flowers, I guess,” Supervisor Larry Cantwell said. “Especially after a long winter,” said Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc.

Two other bureaucratic changes were discussed briefly. A change in the building permit fees for structures greater than 3,500 square feet appears to be in the works, at the request of the Building Department. The fees have not been increased since 2008, Ann Glennon of the department told board members, and should be in keeping with those of surrounding municipalities. Mr. Van Scoyoc agreed, saying a change was “long overdue.”

“We need to keep current with what the cost of actually administrating the permits is,” he said.

The board is also thinking of giving the Building Department the authority to issue permits for deer fencing, rather than the Architectural Review Board, which currently reviews those requests. Among its other responsibilities, the review board sets the criteria for deer fencing. The proposed law would codify the fencing criteria, and property owners would seek permits at the Building Department offices rather than submit applications to the A.R.B. Those seeking to erect fencing different from that described in the code could still apply directly to the A.R.B. for permission.