Judge Upholds East Hampton Town Occupancy Limits Challenged By Camp Dormitories

A state court has issued an order upholding an injunction that bars an East Hampton summer camp operator from using a house he owns to board more than two dozen camp counselors in the summertime.

The injunction bars the owner of Hampton Country Day Camp, Jay Jacobs, from using any of three houses he owns in East Hampton as dormitories.

East Hampton Town is seeking a permanent injunction barring Mr. Jacobs from housing more than four unrelated employees in his houses.

Attorneys for the camp owner had filed a motion challenging the town’s limits on occupancy by unrelated individuals as unconstitutional.

Earlier this month State Supreme Court Justice Gerard Asher disagreed with the unconstitutionality claim and left the injunction in place while a trial on whether to permanently enjoin the use of the houses as dormitories is held, beginning next month.

In the summer of 2015 town code enforcement officials discovered 25 camp counselors living in what was legally supposed to be a four-bedroom house at 17 Ocean Boulevard, off Springs-Fireplace Road, but that had been converted without building permits into eight separate bedrooms.

The town issued some 60 violations for illegal alterations to the house and safety shortcomings.

Mr. Jacobs is also the owner of Southampton Country Day Camp, which has been embroiled in a years-long struggle with Southampton Town and neighbors over expansions at the camp.