21-05-2025
Ocean City council moves to ban some tents, canopies from beaches
As Memorial Day approaches, Ocean City is moving forward with efforts to limit the number and size of tents on its beaches.
The Ocean City Town Council on Monday approved an ordinance on first reading to ban beach tents and put restrictions on canopies after complaints from beachgoers.
A first reading of an ordinance means the item is introduced to the council. The council will now refer the item to subcommittees and boards for review and recommendations.
The proposed ban arose from an increasing number of tents on the beach during peak times during the summer, according to city officials. Some visitors and residents are upset about people setting up large 'front row' areas early in the morning and leaving tents unattended for hours.
Officials said there are also concerns that the tents could obscure the visibility of life guards, which could create a safety issue.
As a result, the council initially approved banning tents on the beach at all times. The ban allows an exception for 3-by-3-by-3-foot-maximum 'baby' tents.
Canopies would also be prohibited from being set up and left unattended before lifeguards go on duty at 10 a.m. Beachgoers could set up canopies before that time, but they would have to be occupied.
There is also a requirement that all canopy-anchoring systems be under the canopy roof. There would be no restrictions on the sizes of canopies.
However, the council requested two amendments for second reading – canopies can be no larger than 10-by-10 feet and canopies must have at least 3-feet of separation on all sides to allow people to walk between them.
'The city has received [an] increasing number of complaints related to tents and canopies on the beach,' Ocean City manager Terry McGean wrote in an email to The Baltimore Sun. 'There are also issues with extended rope anchoring systems that further restrict where folks can sit on the beach and lots of folks trip over.'
Ocean City officials reported that about 750 tents abandoned on the beach were collected by maintenance crews last year.
Some visitors, such as Phoenix resident Nicole Ripken, whose family owns a condominium at The Atlantis on Coastal Highway, said the proposed ban was a bit excessive.
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