OCEAN CITY, Md. - Ocean City leaders approved a change to beach canopy rules, allowing more shade on the sand.
The Ocean City Council voted Monday night to expand the allowed size for beach canopies from 10-by-10 feet to 15-by-15 feet. The update is designed to keep up with newer canopy styles that often extend beyond their rooflines with sandbags and guidewires.
Town Manager Terry McGean said the change reflects how people who visit the beach are setting up lately.
"There are a lot of newer canopies. The shibumi shade is, is an example, that do have guide wires, but they're very well, they're very visible. And those canopies also tend to perform very well in the wind," McGean said.
Guidewires for the tents must remain in that designated space, while a 3-foot separation between canopies will still be required. To help enforce the regulations, the town approved a six-person beach enforcement crew. McGean said the team will operate as a trial program and be reassessed in the fall.
Town leaders previously shared that the move is intended to relieve lifeguards, who had increasingly been pulled into disputes over canopy placement.
