East Hampton Village board changes code on mass gatherings

In an effort to keep order in the Village of East Hampton, the village board has changed its code on mass gatherings, so people do not end up out on the streets.

Under the code change, adopted unanimously at Friday’s board meeting, all future special events that are held on commercial premises must be kept indoors, so that people do not “spill out onto the streets, sidewalks or parking lots ...”

The change formalized a long-standing village board policy aimed at restricting what village officials consider “unduly large gatherings” at village shops.

The code change does not ban outdoor events, and would not apply to the annual Artists and Writers softball game or the annual Ladies Village Improvement Society fair, which draws thousands of people to the village each year.

Instead, the change is aimed at special events that are requested by businesses in the village’s busy commercial district.