Montauk Memorial Day Weekend Kicked Off 'Serenely': Chamber

MONTAUK, NY - The rave reviews keep coming, as town officials and business owners say the Memorial Day weekend in Montauk went smoothly on all counts, earning a round of applause from all corners.

"The Montauk peak travel season started off serenely with visitors appreciating the beaches, restaurants, nightlife and events in town," the Montauk Chamber of Commerce said in a release this week.

“This Memorial Day weekend experience for vacationers and residents was laid-back and fun, the qualities that personify Montauk as a vacation spot for families, says Paul Monte, president of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.

Business owners concurred that the weekend was a harbinger of smooth sailing this summer season.

“The beaches looked spectacular — better than ever — our guests enjoyed themselves, there was a good vibe throughout,” said Steve Kalimnios, general manager of Royal Atlantic Resorts hotel.

The beachfront hotel is adjacent to a beach bar and nightspot where “there was calm, summertime music,” he adds.

Music levels and hours, quality of life and safety misdemeanors were enforced with a larger police presence this year, all agrred.

The Point restaurant and night spot experienced a relaxed, happy crowd whether for lunch which was packed with families or in the evening when the music rocks for the night revelers, said Glen Welsch, owner.

The annual Montauk Artists Association Art Fair on the Village Green drew plenty of sales and crowds out enjoying the beautiful weather, reports Anne Weissman, artist and manager of the event.

“The level of enforcement, cooperation of businesses and visitors resulted in a successful and safe weekend in Montauk,” according to Larry Cantwell, Supervisor of the Town of East Hampton.

Even the police said no major issues were reported, with Montauk surviving its first holiday weekend of the season with "zero" commercial noise complaints and "no issues of overcrowding," according to East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo.

However, taxis are still a source of concern, Sarlo said.

While police were busy, calls were consistent with Memorial Day weekend last year, he said. From Friday through midday Sunday, East Hampton Town Police received 373 calls this year, compared to 363 last year, with 148 in Montauk compared to 143 last year, "a very slight change," he said.

"It was a very busy weekend for the entire town. Our calls for service were almost identical to last Memorial Day weekend, both for the entire town and in Montauk," Sarlo said.

Between the police , fire marshal, code and marine patrol, approximately 45 town code summonses were issued, mostly in Montauk, Sarlo said. Five of 10 arrests were in Montauk, which included two DWIs, as well as one harassment, one disorderly conduct, and one unlawful possession of marijuana, charge, "very typical of our normal weekend activity," he said.

On the upside, Sarlo reported "zero commercial noise complaints in Montauk for the weekend, and no issues of overcrowding at any of the bars. The crowds were big, and there were a lot of people out and about, but for the most part it was orderly and safe."

Supplemental patrols were proactive in writing town code summonses, he said.

"The bar and restaurant management seem to be following through on their commitment to improve the control of their establishments and help us work toward more compliance. Several closed at 2 a.m. instead of 4 a.m., and they seem to be making a concerted effort to keep things in hand. Things continue to improve and we feel the overall atmosphere was festive but not over the top," Sarlo said.

Taxi cabs still raised concerns, he said. "The sheer volume of cabs trying to navigate between bars, jockeying for pickup and drop off space continues to be a source of frustration for our patrols," Sarlo said. "We will really need to address this consistently through enforcement and education to get the drivers on board. Taxis serve a tremendous purpose keeping drunk drivers off the roads, but they need to slow down, follow the rules of the road and be safer in their operations."

During the holiday weekend, police were "extremely busy" handling accidents, aided cases, larcenies, erratic drivers and "every other type call for service we handle as an agency. Nothing particularly related to the crowds or partying. We got a lot of positive feedback from business and concerned citizens," Sarlo said. "We'll continue to meet with businesses, do some outreach with the taxi companies and work toward July 4th weekend."

Photo courtesy of Gary Kuehn.