Summer people napping on towels, chairs on the beach shouldn’t be concerned
OCEAN CITY — In spite of how the new ordinance sounds, Ocean City’s cops aren’t going to roust you if you’re napping on the beach.
But don’t take that too far.
City Council approved an ordinance at its July 16 meeting that sounds more ominous than it will be in practice, at least as far as beach-goers go.
Ordinance 26-08 is subtitled, “Prohibiting camping or sleeping on public property.” It states council “finds that it is in the best interest of its residents and visitors to prohibit camping or sleeping in public areas including, but not limited to, the beach, boardwalk, pavilions, sidewalks, Community Center, Civic Center, playgrounds, recreation fields and parks within the city.”
The ordinance also applies to beneath the boardwalk, bus stops and the bus station, Carey Stadium, parks, benches and parking lots. Ocean City has a lot of parking lots and even more benches, including those that line the boardwalk.
The ordinance sets fines of not less than $100 but no more than $2,000 and possible imprisonment or community service for as long as 90 days.
“No person shall sleep or camp in any public area or portion thereof at any time,” the ordinance notes before a section entitled “Exception for ordinary beach recreation.”
This is where beach-goers can relax.
The ordinance does not prohibit the normal aspects of beach recreation — sitting, reclining, sunbathing or napping on a beach towel, beach blanket or beach chair.
Just don’t do it so long that it reaches into some of the ordinance’s camping prohibitions — no temporary habitation, storage of personal belongings, erection or use of a tent, tarp or other shelter, cooking, fire-making or use of bedding or camping equipment.
Prohibited camping is defined as the act of “occupying a location outdoors for temporary habitation.” That is evidenced by the tent, tarp or other structure, laying down sleeping bags, blankets, pillows or other bedding items, storing those personal belongs or cooking or making a fire.
Council approved the ordinance on second reading at the meeting. It was initially approved at the June 25 meeting.
“As I indicated at the reorg meeting, it does not prohibit someone from napping on the beach,” city solicitor Dorothy McCrosson told council before the unanimous vote in favor. “There will be some common sense applied in the application of this ordinance.”
It is assumed that common-sense approach won’t prohibit beach-goers from setting up their temporary cabanas, the kind that proliferate like gulls on beaches and are meant to provide shade from the summer sun.
There was no public comment on the ordinance or from City Council members.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff