Greenport eyes zoning changes in effort to preserve maritime history, set limits on new businesses, entertainment

With a development moratorium in place since December, Greenport Village has unveiled sweeping changes that would reshape zoning, ban nightclubs and set new rules for parking and entertainment.

The changes are part of a larger overhaul officials say will preserve maritime history, maintain a vibrant business district and balance tourism with year-round residents. Officials have been working since January to revamp the code and Mayor Kevin Stuessi said Thursday the board will lift the moratorium once the changes are approved.

A public hearing that began in August remains open.

Officials hope the new zoning will ease friction between residents and businesses, which has grown as Greenport evolved into a tourist destination and prompted noise complaints at night. 

“Everybody wants a vibrant downtown," trustee Mary Bess Phillips said Wednesday. "In the summer time … it’s going to be busy, but you don’t have to have [loud music] at 1:30 in the morning, either.”

Under the proposed changes, all businesses that feature live or amplified music or DJs would be required to obtain a two-year entertainment permit from the village. Officials said they plan to waive the $250 fee for the first year, but require businesses to have them in place for summer 2024. The permits could be revoked if citations are issued for noise and other violations.

Officials did not say how much the permit fees would generate or how they would be spent. 

Stuessi said the move isn't intended to prevent bars and restaurants from playing music. "What we don’t want is a true nightclub with a line out the door and a use that is too much for the village." 

Several properties on lower Main Street and southern Front Street would also be rezoned from waterfront commercial district to retail commercial, which allows for most retail businesses.

Those properties are already being used for shops and restaurants and don’t have direct waterfront access. 

New hotels, bars and restaurants would be barred in the waterfront commercial district.

Restaurants above 1,500 square feet, bars and hotels would become conditional uses in the retail district.

“We don’t believe hotels belong in the historic working waterfront,” Stuessi said, adding that the changes will help the village “be prepared for the future in determining the size, scope and scale of what [Greenport] can manage in years to come.”

Tougher parking laws could also apply to new, large developments, officials said.

Projects that can’t provide enough parking could be required to make a payment in lieu of parking, set at either $25,000 or $50,000 per space, depending on how many are required.

“If someone wants to build a big, banging place, they’re going to be required to go through a higher level of scrutiny,” Stuessi said.

Nancy Kouris, who owns Blue Duck Bakery and is the president of the Business Improvement District, said businesses need more time to review the changes and are currently gearing up for the Maritime Festival next weekend, which typically draws 40,000 visitors to the village.

“You’re talking about businesses that are in the heavy season and many of them were not even aware of what was going on,” Kouris said Wednesday. “This is such a large piece of legislation.”

The changes were first published on the village website in late July.

A public information session will be held at the Greenport Fire Department on Sept. 19 at 4 p.m.

The next opportunity to weigh in on the changes will be at a hearing on Sept. 21.