OCEAN CITY — Ocean City officials this week advanced an ordinance requiring registered participants in vehicle-related special events to purchase a permit for parking oversized trailers on certain city streets, but not before a spirited debate about where and on whom the new law should be enforced.
As part of the ongoing effort to rein in some of the behavior associated with the vehicle-related special events in the resort, including but not limited to the spring and fall Cruisin’ events and Bike Week, for example, the Mayor and Council last fall proposed an ordinance allowing only those officially registered for the events to purchase a permit and sticker to park oversized trailers on certain city streets. The sticker would have to be prominently displayed on the trailer and those “hangers on” not registered for the event would not be allowed to purchase them.
The intent of the ordinance change is to curb some of the parking of oversized trailers all over the resort during the special event weekends, some of which cause traffic obstructions and other public safety concerns, and others that take up several public parking spots. In the months since, the Police Commission has tweaked and reworked the ordinance several times and a near finished product was presented to the Mayor and Council by OCPD Chief Ross Buzzuro and Captain Kevin Kirstein on Tuesday.
Boiled down to its simplest terms, only registered participants would be allowed to park trailers on public streets from May 1 to Oct. 31 after purchasing a permit and affixing a sticker to their trailer. Those hot rod and motorcycle enthusiasts who come to the resort for the special events but don’t formally register would not be allowed to purchase the permits and would have to park their trailers on certain municipal lots, the Park and Ride in West Ocean City, or on private property with the permission of the owner.
Under the revised ordinance, no trailer parking, permits or otherwise, would be allowed on narrow Baltimore Avenue because of public safety concerns. Violators found parking trailers on public streets without a permit would be subject to a $250 fine for each day.
Those who didn’t move their trailers after receiving citations could have their oversized vehicles “booted,” or immobilized, until the paid the fines. The town and its police department would only two a trailer as a measure of last resort, such as an obvious traffic obstruction or public safety hazard, because of concerns of liability with the contents of the trailers.
“We don’t want to tow trailers if we don’t have to because it’s tricky and there are liability issues,” said Kirstein. “If somebody gets a citation and doesn’t pay it, they are already a scofflaw and we will basically ‘arrest’ their trailer where it is. The town is not getting into the booting industry, just like it’s not in the towing industry. The tow companies have shown a willingness to acquire the boots and learn how to use them.”
Ironically, existing ordinances already prohibit parking trailers on public streets in the resort from May 1 to Oct. 31, but the ordinance under consideration would allow at least those registered special events participants to park trailers in certain areas as long as they acquired the permits. The intent is to eliminate, or at least limit, the proliferation of trailers all over public streets in the resort during the special events.
While most agree with the ordinance in principal, there were considerable differences in opinion voiced on Tuesday regarding who, what and where and how it will be enforced. All agreed there should be no trailer parking allowed on Baltimore Ave., permit or otherwise.
“Even with permits, there would be no oversized vehicle parking allowed on Baltimore Avenue,” said Kirstein. “It’s a public safety issue and the parking spots on Baltimore Avenue are substandard size. We see them hanging out in the street or jacked up with their wheels on the sidewalk.”
However, Councilman Wayne Hartman questioned whether trailer parking should be allowed on Baltimore Avenue at any time of the year.
“Can we make Baltimore Avenue off limits for trailers all year round?” he said. “It’s no less dangerous in January then it is in July.”
With that said, the council agreed to amend the proposed ordinance to prohibit trailer parking on Baltimore Ave. at all times of the year. The ordinance as written also allowed Ocean City property owners who registered for the special events to park their trailers on the street without acquiring the permits. After considerable debate, the council agreed to remove that section and require the permits from all registered participants who want to park their trailers on the street regardless of whether they owned property or not in the interest of leveling the playing field.
The ordinance as written would require registered participants to acquire and affix the permits to their trailers from the day before the event started to the day it ended, typically from Wednesday to Sunday. Councilmember Mary Knight suggested allowing the permits to be purchased and utilized in the days leading up to the event, however.
“A lot of people come prior to the first day of an event,” she said. “We’re a tourist town and we’re always trying to encourage mid-week visitors. Can’t we open up the permits earlier than just before the event?”
Kirstein explained early arrivers should have ample opportunities to park their trailers at the municipal lot on 100th Street or at the Park and Ride, or make arrangements with private property owners. Kirstein said a small percentage of the registered participants bring their hot rods, classic cars or motorcycles to the special events anyway.
“Out of say 3,000 to 3,500 registered participants, only a fraction of them bring trailers,” he said. “We’re probably looking at just a couple of hundred permits, but this gives us something we can administer and enforce.”
Councilman Matt James questioned many elements of the proposed ordinance throughout the long discussion. James, a north-end hotel manager questioned of hotels would be able to acquire the permits for their guests to purchase. He also questioned the ordinance in general, given Kirstein’s assessment of the small percentage of participants who bring trailers to the special events.
“If it’s not a big problem, then why do we need the changes?” he said. “I think this is government over-reach. I just don’t think we should force people to join these events if they don’t want to, but that’s the only way they can get a permit to park their trailer on the street.”
Mayor Rick Meehan reminded his colleagues of the reason for the proposed ordinance in the first place and urged them to recall the particularly troublesome May Cruisin’ event.
“This is a very difficult ordinance,” he said. “We all have short memories. A year ago in May after the spring Cruisin’ event, all of our phones were ringing off the hook and there were a tremendous amount of complaints from our residential neighborhoods.”
Meehan also reminded the council there is already an ordinance on the books prohibiting the parking of trailers on the public streets from May 1 to October 31.
“Really, what we’re allowing is something that wasn’t available already,” he said. “Right now, you can’t park an oversized vehicle on Ocean City streets from May 1 to Oct. 1. We’re trying to protect and encourage these events while eliminating some of the problems. We’re trying to find a balance between the commercial interests and the residential interests and this is a good faith effort.”
Meehan said the ordinance would limit the parking of trailers on the streets, but would not likely curtail participation in the special events.
“You’re going to see private enterprise fill the need,” he said. “You’ll see property owners offering private property for trailer parking. Let’s not forget what it was like in May 2015. How many motorized events are enough? Let’s make the ones we have work better. There is no perfect ordinance when it comes to these things. That’s my position, but the council can do what they want.”
Council President Lloyd Martin said the resort’s business community benefits from the special events, but there has to be a balance to protect the residential areas.
“I benefit from these car shows,” he said. “I think everybody does. We have to be concerned about our neighborhoods. The trailers weren’t legal anyway under the existing ordinance from May 1 to October 31, so I think this is the right thing to do.”
The council voted 5-1 with James opposed to move the ordinance to first reading, with the changes including no trailer parking at all on Baltimore Avenue and no special exemptions for resort property owners. However, Cruisin’ events promoter Bob Rothermel urged them to expedite the approval process because many of his regular participants were waiting to see how the ordinance turned out before committing to this year’s events.
“We’re only 105 days from the spring event and it makes it difficult to manage the event,” he said. “I have to tell 3,500 car event participants we’re trying to be proactive, so can we move this forward and make a plan and let all of the residents, business owners and participants aware of the changes?”