Latest news with #TerryMcGean
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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. Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ocean City resident amass over 1.3K signatures against short-term rental limits, enough for referendum
Ocean City residents opposed to an ordinance limiting short-term rentals in certain parts of town met one of their key goals Monday. A petition to overturn the measure garnered 1,327 signatures, according to the city clerk, meaning there could be a public referendum on the issue. At the center of the controversy is an ordinance that mandates five-night consecutive minimum lengths of stay for this year and next in 'R1' districts, made up of low-density and single-family residential developments. The ordinance also applies to 'MH' districts, which comprise mobile home parks and subdivisions. Many residents say the rule would have major financial implications with those who want to rent out their homes to vacationers. The residents only needed 990 signatures for the referendum, so they have a cushion for the next step of the process, which entails a verification process. 'I am sure there will be a few to get tossed; there always are with these things,' said Terry Miller, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who is helping lead the charge with colleagues and homeowners. 'But we believe we have plenty and that we should be good to go.' Once the signatures are verified, there will either be a special election to decide the issue, or City Council could wait until the next general election in 2026. The ordinance later implements a 31-night minimum stay, which would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. Any bookings made before March 3, 2025, would be exempt. The R-1 and MH zoning districts impact about 3% to 4% of the overall rental properties in town. There are about 10,000 rental units in Ocean City, and approximately 300 to 350 of those properties will be affected by the ordinance, according to Ocean City Manager Terry McGean. In a statement, the city pointed out that there are over 9,000 short-term rental licenses that remain outside of these areas, as well as11,000 hotel rooms and 20,000-plus condos, townhouses and homes that remain unrestricted, 'including the entire ocean block.' There are people who support the measure because they believe it would boost property rights of other owners who deal with loud noises, excess trash and other issues with vacation renters. Dan Jasinski, a Baltimore native and full-time Ocean City resident for the past nine years, said the ordinance is 'a start for much-needed regulations.' Rob Bouse, co-owner of Rob & Anne-Marie Bouse, REMAX Advantage Realty, said the rental market for the Oceanside condos will not be affected. However, he predicts some families with homes in these R1 and MH zones might be compelled to sell, which has troubled some residents. The residents opposed to the ordinance have developed a website and created a Facebook page to drum up support. 'The people have spoken,' Miller said. 'We have a lot of support from the residents of the community. People don't understand why you would want to eliminate short-term rentals in these areas. That came from all different age groups. It was a combination of people who have only been in the community three, five, 10 years and some that had been in 50 years. 'If just property owners [and not only residents] could have signed the petition, we probably could have gotten 10,000 signatures.' Have a news tip? Contact Todd Karpovich at tkarpovich@ or on X as @ToddKarpovich.
