They Call It Montauk Madness-Merchant says downtown drunks are driving motel customers awa

Diane Hausman, who owns a motel in Montauk's downtown area, had a problem to air before the East Hampton Town Board on Aug. 2.

"We're being overrun by underage drinking - the Daytona-Fort Lauderdale mentality, and we're losing the family business," she told the board. "What I see now is a disgrace."

The stretch of road on South Emerson Street between the Sands Motel, which Ms. Hausman owns, and Nick's on the Beach, a bar and restaurant, has been more crowded than ever this summer, she said. "It's constant."

At night, it is mostly young adults coming from Oyster Pond, another bar and restaurant, who spill onto her motel property across the street. A stairwell in one of the motel buildings is being used as a place to make cellphone calls and for vomiting, she said, adding, "Every morning we have to clean up a mess."

Paul Graves, the owner of Oyster Pond, said the week after the meeting that he had three bouncers working most nights: one in front, one at a side entrance, and another who is "floating."

The smoking ban has made things harder, he said. "People coming and going with the smoking makes it hard to keep track of them all."

To address complaints made last year, Mr. Graves has already closed in parts of the building that used to be open. He agreed that there had been a surge this year in the downtown night crowd, and said that his was one of three popular bars in a small area, the others being the Memory Motel and the Point.

Mr. Graves agreed with Ms. Hausman that people were spilling out of cabs throughout the night. "But it's a double-edged sword," he said. "At least they're not driving."

At Nick's there are five bouncers working, according to Nick Deane, the proprietor. He said he has had trouble with minors trying to scale a fence to get in, and now posts bouncers near the fence throughout the night. The other bouncers are posted at the doors or floating, he said.

"We want to be here for a really long time. The last thing we want is to sell liquor to some 20-year-old and lose our license," he said.

Town Police Chief Todd Sarris said he was unaware of any increase in crime in Montauk, but said the "hot spots" around town seemed to change from year to year. "This year it seems to be in downtown Montauk," he said. Around town hall they call it "Montauk madness."

At Supervisor Bill McGintee's request, the Police Department is "utilizing our existing resources and clogging those particular areas with officers," the chief said. "We will use every resource we have."

Capt. Kevin Sarlo of the Montauk precinct said there are always at least two officers in Montauk and sometimes as many as seven. He was trying to keep officers out of the patrol cars and on foot or bike, he said, and "that seems to be helping."

Lynn Cucci said that at Puff 'n' Putt, her family's miniature golf course on Main Street, there had been increased vandalism this year. Some main attractions, such as a plaster bear, a pirate, and a horse, have been stolen, broken, or disfigured, and benches have been thrown into the pond regularly.

The Cuccis put in a surveillance camera this year because of all the vandalism, she said, adding that an ice cream vendor who makes deliveries in Montauk early had told her he never saw so many drunk people when he arrived there in the early morning hours.

"It's been an unusual summer," she said.

The Cuccis asked the police to step up their nighttime patrol, which put a stop to the attempted theft of a bandanna from a pirate figure. "Word got out, don't go near Puff 'n' Putt or you'll be caught," Ms. Cucci said.