Village makes ban on late-night clubs official

A proposal to ban nighttime dining activities in East Hampton Village’s historic neighborhoods went into effect on June 21 after the town council voted unanimously to implement the rule change without any new comments from stakeholders.

Before that day’s vote, dozens of residents had spoken out in support of the measure, which prohibits eating and drinking in taverns and restaurants within East Hampton Village’s four historic districts after 11 p.m., both at meetings and in official letters.

The law officially prohibits the operation of “late-night restaurant clubs” between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. These are defined as “a membership- or subscription-based social, dining and beverage establishment, facility or association” with a membership-, subscription- or fee-based system. It provides a list of places to which the new rule applies: “restaurant, nightclub, cabaret, tavern, bar, cafe, hotel, motel, inn, supper club or social club.”

The Town Council also unanimously passed a resolution certifying that the new regulation will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment, a requirement of New York State’s Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). “The Town Council believes that prohibiting inns and restaurants from operating as ‘late-night dining clubs’ will preserve the peaceful character of the Village’s residential neighborhoods and will preserve the Village’s historic districts,” a summary of the SEQRA report states.

The regulation will take effect when the town clerk receives notice from the New York Department of State that the approved resolution has been passed.

Before the vote, village officials did not explicitly state that the new rule was aimed at preventing the elite private club Zero Bond from opening a branch at the Hedges Inn. In May, however, village administrator Marcos Baladron hinted something along those lines when he told The Star, “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck, and no ducks allowed here.” The Hedges Inn had been operating since 1981 following a county appeals board decision to stop serving drinks and close its doors at 10 p.m.

The Star had previously reported that Zero Bond had already negotiated with the village about occupying the Hedges in October 2023. Neither a lease nor a sale offer had previously been made for the inn.

Additionally, on June 21, the board extended a moratorium on converting tennis courts to pickleball courts within village limits for another six months.

The board also extended an agreement with shuttle service Circuit that runs through June 21, 2026, allowing it to park in the long-term parking lot. Circuit Transit Inc. will pay $3,500 per year for the next two years.