Fight over facade at Hamptons restaurant Rowdy Hall fades to black
The facade of Rowdy Hall restaurant in Amagansett in December. Credit: Tom Lambui
A dispute between a popular Hamptons restaurant and a local review board has finished in the pub’s favor.
The result: Rowdy Hall can paint it, black.
The restaurant, which opened at a new location in Amagansett late last year, can paint its facade as desired after last week reaching a settlement with East Hampton Town’s Architectural Review Board that ended litigation.
The settlement between the restaurant’s ownership group, Honest Man LLC, and the review board permits Rowdy Hall to paint the exterior black — specifically Benjamin Moore HC190. Any other changes to the exterior would require additional approval, according to the settlement.
Suffolk State Supreme Court Justice Alison Napolitano signed the settlement, which court records show was filed March 25.
This dispute began after Rowdy Hall’s owners submitted a proposal to paint the facade black with gold trim to mirror the design of its former location in East Hampton Village. The pub, which features French bistro-style cuisine, operated in those premises for more than two decades.
Town code requires the board's approval of any changes to a commercial building, such as exterior paint, in the Amagansett Historic District where the business now is located.
The board maintained the paint color needed to be “harmonious” with neighboring buildings in the historic district that primarily are white.
The board denied the restaurant's application for a black facade, leading the restaurant ownership group to file an Article 78 petition, a special type of legal proceeding intended to either compel or prohibit a government action.
Despite the denial, the restaurant's ownership group changed the building's facade from dark green to what appeared to be black before the business' November opening. Restaurant lawyer Jonathan Tarbet said in Newsday interviews then and since the settlement that was a “primer” coat and not the final color.
The “primer” coat currently remains on the exterior, he said last week.
“As soon as the weather warms up a bit they’ll repaint it,” Tarbet added.
Town attorney Robert Connelly said he believes the board decided the guidelines for a historic district weren't as strict and they had more “leeway” than the members originally thought.
“I think they wanted to settle the case because you never know what's going to happen with litigation,” he said Friday.
At the review board’s March 14 meeting, chairman Chip Rae read from a resolution saying the board had reviewed the agreement and authorized the town attorney to settle the court case.
Later that meeting, the board approved the resolution, 4-1. Board member Kathleen Cunningham, the former chairperson, voted against it without making any comments at the meeting.
Tarbet, the restaurant's lawyer, said he expects two pending town code violations the town issued Nov. 8 in response to the restaurant's dark exterior to be dismissed.
“We still have to work that out,” Connelly said about that issue, but added that he believes there will be a “favorable disposition that everybody can live with.”
Tarbet said there has been “huge public support” for the restaurant.
In September, Rowdy Hall supporters crammed East Hampton Town Hall for a review board meeting and gave Mark Smith, a partner in the restaurant's ownership group, a lengthy round of applause as he stepped to the podium to speak.
“Everybody thought it was ridiculous except for the board,” Tarbet said of the paint debate.
A dispute between a popular Hamptons restaurant and a local review board has finished in the pub’s favor.
The result: Rowdy Hall can paint it, black.
The restaurant, which opened at a new location in Amagansett late last year, can paint its facade as desired after last week reaching a settlement with East Hampton Town’s Architectural Review Board that ended litigation.
The settlement between the restaurant’s ownership group, Honest Man LLC, and the review board permits Rowdy Hall to paint the exterior black — specifically Benjamin Moore HC190. Any other changes to the exterior would require additional approval, according to the settlement.
Suffolk State Supreme Court Justice Alison Napolitano signed the settlement, which court records show was filed March 25.
This dispute began after Rowdy Hall’s owners submitted a proposal to paint the facade black with gold trim to mirror the design of its former location in East Hampton Village. The pub, which features French bistro-style cuisine, operated in those premises for more than two decades.
Town code requires the board's approval of any changes to a commercial building, such as exterior paint, in the Amagansett Historic District where the business now is located.
The board maintained the paint color needed to be “harmonious” with neighboring buildings in the historic district that primarily are white.
The board denied the restaurant's application for a black facade, leading the restaurant ownership group to file an Article 78 petition, a special type of legal proceeding intended to either compel or prohibit a government action.
Despite the denial, the restaurant's ownership group changed the building's facade from dark green to what appeared to be black before the business' November opening. Restaurant lawyer Jonathan Tarbet said in Newsday interviews then and since the settlement that was a “primer” coat and not the final color.
The “primer” coat currently remains on the exterior, he said last week.
“As soon as the weather warms up a bit they’ll repaint it,” Tarbet added.
Town attorney Robert Connelly said he believes the board decided the guidelines for a historic district weren't as strict and they had more “leeway” than the members originally thought.
“I think they wanted to settle the case because you never know what's going to happen with litigation,” he said Friday.
At the review board’s March 14 meeting, chairman Chip Rae read from a resolution saying the board had reviewed the agreement and authorized the town attorney to settle the court case.
Later that meeting, the board approved the resolution, 4-1. Board member Kathleen Cunningham, the former chairperson, voted against it without making any comments at the meeting.
Tarbet, the restaurant's lawyer, said he expects two pending town code violations the town issued Nov. 8 in response to the restaurant's dark exterior to be dismissed.
“We still have to work that out,” Connelly said about that issue, but added that he believes there will be a “favorable disposition that everybody can live with.”
Tarbet said there has been “huge public support” for the restaurant.
In September, Rowdy Hall supporters crammed East Hampton Town Hall for a review board meeting and gave Mark Smith, a partner in the restaurant's ownership group, a lengthy round of applause as he stepped to the podium to speak.
“Everybody thought it was ridiculous except for the board,” Tarbet said of the paint debate.
Paint Debate
- A court settlement between Rowdy Hall and the Town of East Hampton will allow the restaurant's facade to be painted black.
- The restaurant filed litigation last year after the town's architectural review board denied its application for that color facade.
- Still to be resolved are two code violations the town issued to the business last year over the facade's appearance.
Source: Rowdy Hall, court records
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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