Starting June 1, the East Hampton Town Trustees, the stewards of beaches, wetlands, and waterways throughout both East Hampton Town and Village, will charge a new $300 fee for events held at the five village beaches, Main Beach, Egypt Beach, Two Mile Hollow, Wiborg’s Beach, and Georgica.
This resolution is “completely separate” from the updated event fees that were approved in January by the town board, Francis Bock, clerk of the trustees, said on Tuesday, the day after the trustees unanimously approved the fee. It will also be applied on top of the special event fees that the village administration already charges for use of public properties for gatherings.
“We’re trying to get a handle on these things,” Mr. Bock said. “It’s amazing how many people are doing lobster bakes on the beach, and multiple events at one beach setting, so if you wanted to go down there with your family, the beach is taken up by multiple parties doing these other setups.”
The fee will apply to all catered events with 50 or more guests, and also to events hosted by non-village residents.
Village residents interested in holding smaller gatherings without catered services — for example, a simple beach picnic with two dozen family members — are exempt from the trustees’ new fee.
The trustees’ resolution also caps the number of events at two per beach per day — one to be located to the west of the beach head, and one to the east.
“The beaches have become extremely popular for these kinds of events,” Mr. Bock said. “Some of the applications are asking to set up tents and dining tables and furniture, it’s really pretty insane what some of them ask for. So it’s a way to try to reel that in.”
The village administration will collect the fee on the trustees’ behalf, then forward them the proceeds. Village Mayor Jerry Larsen said he thinks the new fee is reasonable.
“Francis and I talked about this, and we agreed to try it out and see how it all goes,” he said. “They [the trustees] own the beaches — they should charge. There are expenses that go into everything. . . . I think it’s going to work out fine. I don’t think anyone from the public is going to have an issue.”
