OCEAN CITY, Md. - As summer crowds return to Ocean City’s beaches, some vacationers have raised concerns about the growing number of large tents taking up space along the shoreline.
On Monday night, the Ocean City Council voted 4-2 to approve new regulations aimed at limiting the size and placement of tents and canopies on the beach. The new rules, which take effect immediately, are designed to address increasing complaints about blocked views and crowded conditions during peak season.
The ordinance will:
Ban all tents except for small baby tents
Prevent canopies from being set up before 10 a.m. if left unattended
Limit canopy size to 10 feet by 10 feet
Require at least three feet of space between canopies
Prohibit anchors or stakes that extend beyond the canopy’s cover
Residents like Paul Storck, who enjoys biking and relaxing near the ocean with friends, said the rules could help improve the experience for all beachgoers. “Bigger tents could be intrusive to other people,” Storck said. “Especially if they're setting up right in front of people that are already there.”
Vacationers Marvin Martinez and Edgar Lezama, who use just one small umbrella between them, support the changes.
Vacationers Marvin Martinez and Edgar Lezama, who use just one small umbrella between them, said they support the new restrictions. “Those big tents are covering a lot of space,” Lezama said. “They can fly over, hurt somebody — a lot of little kids walking around and everything. So yeah, I think it’s better to just have like the chairs, just regular umbrellas.”
Storck agreed that some limits are necessary but said it’s also important to consider the needs of larger families. “Maybe a law that you have to be ten feet up behind the lifeguards or something like that,” he said. “It all comes down to courtesy.”
So before you hit the sand this summer, make sure your beach setup plays by the new rules.