OCEAN CITY, Md. -Â Ocean City officials will discuss potential regulations on beach tents Tuesday, following a noticeable increase in both the number of tents and complaints from beachgoers in recent years.
"I would probably ban them so we'd have an unobstructed view of the beach and not prevent people from walking down, back and forth," said local resident Mark Dekich.
According to complaints sent to the Ocean City Council, large tents, often measuring 10-by-10 feet or larger, have become more common during peak season, raising concerns about blocked ocean views, overcrowded beach areas, and difficulty moving around them to reach the shoreline, particularly for children. In some cases, multiple tents have been grouped together to form makeshift compounds that occupy significant space along the beach.
Some tents are anchored with sandbags that extend six feet or more and are sometimes left unattended for hours after being set up early in the morning.
Large tents, often measuring 10-by-10 feet or larger, have become more common.
Beach safety and maintenance operations are also a concern. Tents can obstruct lifeguards’ views of the shoreline and make it more difficult for emergency vehicles to navigate the sand due to stakes, tethers, and other equipment. According to the Ocean City agenda, town crews collected about 750 abandoned tent frames between May and September last year.
Dekich offered a simpler alternative: "Just umbrellas. Yeah, that's what I would suggest. And that would be your typical beach you'd see up and down the coast would be just having umbrellas. That would be it."
Ocean City’s current code does not address the use of tents on the beach. Officials are considering several options, including:
Banning tents entirely
Implementing a seasonal ban from Memorial Day through Labor Day
Limiting tent size or type, including restrictions on anchoring methods and compliance with National Fire Protection Association standards for tents over 200 square feet
Defining placement requirements, such as positioning tents 15 feet behind lifeguard stands and maintaining a 10-foot buffer between tents
Taking additional action as directed by the Mayor and Council
Enforcement would be carried out by the Ocean City Police Department and the Ocean City Beach Patrol. The Mayor and City Council will review and discuss the proposed options at their meeting on Tuesday.