Ocean City · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Ocean City public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Reduced-setback dwelling at 13506 Sinepuxent Avenue
The Tacconeli sunroom case shows how the board handles modest encroachments when a similar nonconformity already exists on the block — approved 5-0 with no neighbor objections.
Escapomania escape room conditional use at 13113 Coastal Highway
The Escapomania escape room at 13113 Coastal Highway cleared its public hearing in October, but its findings of fact still need approval — and that's now delayed, holding up permits. Commissioners also questioned why escape rooms need a conditional use at all, and staff is drafting an amendment to allow them outright in LC-1 and SC-1 districts.
Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Amendment
Ocean City must allow ADUs on single-family lots under Maryland's HB 1466, and the commission has now recommended the rules to the City Council with a ban on short-term rentals in ADUs. This could open the door to more long-term housing for workers and family members in a town where housing is scarce.
State-mandated ADU ordinance timeline
A new state law requires Ocean City to allow accessory dwelling units — small second homes like in-law or garage apartments on existing lots. The commission got its first look at the law and example rules from Havre de Grace and Rockville; how Ocean City shapes its own ADU rules will affect neighborhood density, parking, and housing options.
Accessibility ramp at Four Seasons Condominium
Aging condo residents have been using crumbling front steps with no ramp option, because the site can't fit an ADA-compliant slope. The exception lets the association build a gentler ramp right where the old steps sit, closer to the street than code normally allows.
Downtown Sign Regulations
Two ordinances advanced on first reading would tighten rules for signs, awnings, and banners projecting over sidewalks, streets, and the boardwalk in downtown districts. Final adoption comes after a second reading later.
Signage in the Baltimore Avenue Right-of-Way
After a storm toppled a private sign in the unused Baltimore Avenue right-of-way, the town is changing its rules so staff — not the full Council — can approve signs projecting into that right-of-way, with encroachment agreements and insurance requirements attached. Redeveloped properties would have to move signs out of the right-of-way.
Montego Bay survey dispute and setback variances
A new house on Beachcomber Lane ended up inches inside the side setback because three surveyors disagree on where the lot lines are in the 1971-era Montego Bay plat. The board approved tiny after-the-fact variances 4-1 after hearing the lot is a skewed parallelogram and moving the house would risk damaging neighbors' homes.
Bull on the Beach pergola parking waiver
A beloved 94th Street restaurant wanted to enclose its patio pergola with roll-down rain screens, which under town code counts as enclosed space requiring five more parking spots. The board waived them 4-1, since the site is already far below code parking and no seats were added. A condo association president raised ongoing safety worries about the tight Coastal Highway corner.
Proposed Chapter 110 zoning code amendment
The city is proposing changes to numerous sections of its zoning code, with a new section 110-888 added. A public hearing is set for October 6, 2026, so residents and property owners will have a chance to comment before anything is adopted.
Determination of Nonconformity process
The zoning administrator is now regularly reporting legal nonconformity determinations — official recognition that a property's existing use predates current rules. Two were issued this summer for the Kokomo Hotel and Ocean Gem Apartments. It's paperwork, but it documents which properties hold grandfathered status.
Habitable attic determination appeal at 103 Sea Lane
A property owner is appealing the city's determination that a dwelling's second floor is a 'habitable attic' under the town code, which blocked an amendment to building Permit 25-1995. The outcome could clarify how the town treats second-floor spaces in renovations.
Parking waivers in Runaway Bay and the 'domino effect'
The Board denied another Runaway Bay parking waiver after years of approving similar ones, worrying that repeated rebuilds with fewer on-lot spaces could eventually strain street parking. Board members wrestled with a code standard keyed to the building itself rather than the neighborhood.
Home-based mushroom cultivation at 602 141st Street
A Caine Woods resident is appealing the city's finding that an indoor mushroom-growing business doesn't qualify as a permitted home occupation. The case tests how far the town's home-business rules stretch for small agricultural uses.
Quiet Storm outdoor merchandise display exceptions
Both Quiet Storm stores can now legally display discounted merchandise racks outside — something the 122nd Street store had been doing for years without a permit. Approvals last three years and require fire-marshal-compliant egress and a signed operating agreement.
Advance filing deadline for legal arguments in zoning appeals
Lawyers have been handing board members thick binders of legal argument the night of a hearing, leaving no time to read them. A proposed rule would require written legal arguments and attached materials to be filed at least 14 days ahead. It comes back for a formal vote later.
Charter Amendment C-401: Residency Qualifications for Office
The city manager previewed further discussion of charter changes on elected official residency at the June 9 Work Session.
Outdoor merchandise display at Thrift and Treasures
Thrift and Treasures has racked up zoning and fire marshal violations, including a suspended business license in 2025. The board gave the shop another chance but only for one year, with 13 strict conditions and a warning that any complaint could trigger a revocation hearing.
Parking design exceptions at 703 Baltimore Avenue
A developer wants to build two apartment units behind a Baltimore Avenue building, but structural columns eat into five required parking spaces. The board agreed the building's design keeps the spaces functional despite being 8.5 feet wide instead of 9.
Third Street church zoning matter
Two residents praised the council's fair, non-judgmental handling of the sensitive zoning issue at the Third Street church, urging consistent enforcement so other operators aren't treated differently.
Consistent enforcement on zoning and boardwalk rules
Residents praised the council's handling of the Third Street church zoning matter but warned that inconsistent enforcement — dogs on the boardwalk, barracks-style housing — undermines trust and invites claims of selective enforcement.
Proposed Occupancy Limit Increase
The council's new ordinance lets dwellings house two more people than before — a direct boost to rental capacity in a town that lives and dies by summer occupancy. It also touches on furniture standards.
Monte Go's Mini Golf conditional use violation
The mini golf facility at 12901 Coastal Highway has finished all physical corrective stormwater work; final as-built plans are due by May 24, which should close out the violation.
Ocean Pines Beach Club rezoning rescheduled
The June 2 public hearing on the Ocean Pines Beach Club rezoning will be cancelled and moved at the applicant's request — a notable delay for a bigger application.
Board of Zoning Appeals appointments
Two new alternates will help hear zoning appeals cases in Ocean City. Rich Gregor and Malcolm VanKirk were interviewed in closed session and sworn in the same day.
After-the-fact setbacks at 179 Beachcomber Lane
Sean and Patricia Chenworth built a new Montego Bay house six inches over the side setback with a 19.14-foot driveway, blaming a surveyor's misplaced stakes. The Board found no uniqueness of the lot and denied all four after-the-fact relief requests 5-0, leaving the finished, under-contract home out of compliance.
Residential yard setbacks for small lots (Ordinance 2026-08)
The council adopted an updated zoning map and clarified that lots under 5,000 square feet in LC-1/SC-1 districts keep their existing setback treatment, while lots 5,000 square feet and up follow the new rules. Residents of R-1 zones are unaffected.
Flood freeboard variances for substantial improvements
Owners renovating older homes must raise the lowest floor 3 feet above base flood elevation, but the board can grant variances so additions match existing floor heights. Both approved cases keep existing floor levels legal while requiring FEMA-compliant flood vents and elevated mechanicals.
Zoning text amendment: bulk regulations and setbacks for duplexes and townhouses
The city is considering changes to yard setback rules in several commercial and mixed-use zoning districts, and how those rules apply when land is subdivided for two-family dwellings and townhouses. This could shape what gets built and how dense development can be in those districts.
Comprehensive Plan Update
The town's 10-year update of its Comprehensive Plan hit a snag over how it treats short-term rentals and 'nonconforming' properties. Critics want the language softened so nonconformity can be a tool for redevelopment rather than something to be eliminated. The plan's adoption is now headed back to a work session.
Townhouse Driveway Apron Requirements
New zoning rules would require townhouses on lots wider than 50 feet to have either a 5-foot driveway apron or a recessed garage design. It passed first reading narrowly, 4-3.
Waterways Code Amendments (Chapter 106)
Recommended amendments to the city's waterways code, based on Board of Port Wardens recommendations, were scheduled for review. These rules govern docks, channels and boating activity in Ocean City's waterways.