[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Westhampton Beach 5-4-2017 by L.L. No. 3-2017. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Alcoholic beverages — See Ch. 54.
Noise — See Ch. 110.
A. 
Entertainment, as defined in Subsection B, shall be prohibited in all zoning districts of the Village of Westhampton Beach, unless there is a valid permit in effect issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
"Entertainment" is defined as any activity conducted for the primary purpose of diverting or entertaining a clientele in a premises open to the general public. Such activity shall include, but shall not be limited to, dancing, whether by performers or patrons of the establishment, live musical performances, instrumental or vocal, when carried on by one or more persons or whenever amplified; musical entertainment provided by a disc jockey or karaoke, or any similar entertainment activity involving amplified, reproduced music; and live performances such as stand-up comedy. For the purpose of this chapter, the term "entertainment" shall not include:
(1) 
Plays, musicals, concerts or other theatrical events performed in a performing arts facility;
(2) 
A motion-picture theater; or
(3) 
Outdoor music for which a permit has been issued by the Board of Trustees pursuant to Chapter 196 of the Village Code.
A. 
Conditions. Applicants may apply for an entertainment permit to allow entertainment in their establishment, provided they can meet the following conditions:
(1) 
A permit may only be issued for property lawfully used and operated as a standard restaurant, as defined in the Zoning Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 197, Zoning.
(2) 
The entertainment must be accessory to the standard restaurant use and must not alter the existing character of the standard restaurant use.
(3) 
If the standard restaurant serves alcoholic beverages:
(a) 
The applicant must submit a copy of the State Liquor Authority license for the premises to the Board of Trustees, along with any plans and diagrams on file with the State Liquor Authority in connection with the license;
(b) 
There shall be no substantial alteration of the premises as such term is defined in 9 NYCRR 47.7(d) in order to accommodate the entertainment; and
(c) 
All requirements of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, the regulations adopted pursuant to it, and the conditions of any permit issued by the State Liquor Authority shall be followed.
(4) 
The property must be located within the B-1, B-2, B-3 or HC Zoning Districts.
(5) 
All entertainment shall be conducted inside the business establishment.
(6) 
The entertainment will not interfere with or prevent the orderly and reasonable use of adjacent properties.
(7) 
The entertainment will not impair the peace and comfort of adjacent properties.
(8) 
Entertainment in the B-1, B-2 or B-3 Zoning Districts will be permitted only between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight.
(9) 
Entertainment in the HC Zoning District will be permitted only between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
(10) 
All entertainment must comply with Chapter 110, Noise, of the Village Code.
(11) 
There shall be adequate parking.
B. 
Procedures for issuance of permit. The Board of Trustees may issue an entertainment permit subject to the following procedures:
(1) 
An application for a permit shall be filed yearly with the Board of Trustees. The deadline for application for the summer season (Memorial Day to Labor Day) is February 1st. Application submission after this date cannot guarantee permit issuance by the start of the summer season.
(2) 
If the applicant is not the property owner, the application shall be accompanied by an affidavit, signed by the property owner, sworn to under oath, which authorizes the applicant to conduct the specific type of entertainment sought upon the property. The form will also contain the property owner's name, permanent address, and telephone number.
(3) 
A permit shall only be issued to the owner or tenant of the property for which the permit is sought.
(4) 
An entertainment permit shall be effective from the date of issuance until December 31 of the year issued.
(5) 
A public hearing on the initial (special exception) permit application shall be held by the Board of Trustees.
(6) 
The Board of Trustees may waive the requirement for a public hearing on the renewal of the permit, provided that the renewal application is the same as the original application. If the renewal application contains only minor changes, the Board of Trustees may waive the requirement for a public hearing.
(7) 
Before acting on any application, the Board of Trustees shall receive and review reports and recommendations submitted by the Planning Board and Police Department. The Board of Trustees may also request additional information from the Village Engineer or any other consultant or professional, and if the Board of Trustees requests such additional information, the cost thereof shall be paid by the applicant prior to any determination by the Board of Trustees.
(8) 
It shall be the obligation of the holder of the permit to ensure that the conditions set forth in § 80-2A are complied with.
(9) 
The Board of Trustees may, in its sole discretion, limit any permit to specific days.
(10) 
Notwithstanding the provisions of § 80-2A(8) and (9), pertaining to hours of entertainment, the Board of Trustees may, in its sole discretion, limit any permit to fewer hours of entertainment.
(11) 
Before acting on an application for renewal, the Board of Trustees shall receive and review a report from the Police Department. The Board of Trustees may, in its sole discretion, deny the renewal of any permit based upon a violation or violations of the permit conditions occurring in the prior year, or if the Board of Trustees determines that the permit is in conflict with another permit or permits issued. The failure of the Board of Trustees to deny renewal of a permit based upon a violation or violations shall not be a waiver of the Board's right to deny renewal.
(12) 
The filing fee for the permit shall be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
Nothing herein shall prohibit the Board of Trustees from issuing special permits for entertainment, as defined in this chapter, to organizations sponsoring short-term or special events, provided that the event meets the following criteria:
A. 
The event shall be part of a program sponsored by a bona fide not-for-profit commercial or mercantile organization, herein referred to as the "sponsoring organization," which has been actively in existence for at least one continuous year prior to an application hereunder.
B. 
Any special permit shall be for no greater period of time than two consecutive days, with appropriate provisions for alternate days because of inclement weather, with hours subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.
C. 
The sponsoring organization shall pay a fee fixed and established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees for each permit issued.
D. 
The sponsoring organization shall include, with its application, the following information:
(1) 
The location where the event is to be held.
(2) 
A description of the event, including the type of entertainment, the hours of the event, the estimated number of attendees and other information required by the Board of Trustees in order to determine whether to issue a permit.
A. 
Revocation. If a violation of this chapter or any conditions hereof, including any special conditions of a permit issued hereunder, is noted by the Code Enforcement Officer, Police Department or Highway Department, they shall send a report to the Village Clerk indicating the date, time and location of said violation. The Village Clerk shall send notice to the property owner and tenant (if any) informing them of the alleged violation. Notice of a second violation to the property owner and tenant will cause the property owner and/or tenant to be directed to appear before the Board of Trustees and may result in revocation of the entertainment permit. The property owner and/or tenant may provide testimony as to why a permit shall not be revoked. The permit shall be revoked unless the Board of Trustees finds, in its sole discretion, that adequate measures have been taken and will be taken to ensure that there is no reasonable possibility of further violations. A permit holder's failure to appear before the Board of Trustees shall automatically result in permit revocation.
B. 
In addition to the foregoing remedy of revocation, each violation of the provisions of this chapter, including the violation of any conditions in § 80-2A or any special conditions of a permit issued hereunder, shall constitute a separate offense punishable by a fine not less than $250 but not to exceed $500 for the first offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense. Each day the violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.