For Now, OC Council Stops Short Of Boardwalk Smoking Ban; Designated Smoking Plan On Beach Largely Supported Joanne Shriner, Staff Writer OCEAN CITY – While the Mayor and City Council are in agreement to move forward with designated smoking areas on the beach, no conclusion has been reached as far as the Boardwalk. This week the Mayor and City Council continued discussion to restrict smoking to designated areas on the beach and adjacent to the Boardwalk. City Manager David Recor recalled the former Mayor and City Council last discussed the issue in April and voted 5-2 to restrict smoking on the beach and Boardwalk effective May 1, 2015. At that time, the council directed staff to prepare an implementation plan and prepare for further discussion prior to September 2014. Following the discussion, an internal Smoking Policy Committee was formed comprised of a number of town departments who were tasked to devise a plan of action, develop enforcement criteria and prepare draft legislation. In August, staff returned to council providing research on neighboring resorts that have already implemented smoking bans on their beach and/or Boardwalk, such as Fenwick Island, Dewey Beach, Rehoboth Beach and Delaware state parks. At that time, the former council voted 4-3 to restrict smoking to designated areas on the beach and adjacent to the Boardwalk effective May 1, 2015 but asked staff to prepare a map of designated smoking areas for further review and discussion. Those in opposition were favoring an outright smoking ban on the Boardwalk. The Smoking Policy Committee has since reconvened and toured the Boardwalk studying the most appropriate designated smoking locations on the beach and Boardwalk. On Monday evening, Recor presented a proposed ordinance restricting smoking on the beach and Boardwalk to designated smoking areas. The new law will include both nicotine and non-nicotine Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs). The committee mapped out 22 designated smoking areas on the beach that will be marked with bright orange gallon receptacles with lids. The receptacles will display Ocean City’s new restricted smoking logo. There will be one receptacle per street on the beach. The locations would be east of and 50 feet north of the sea wall entranceway or from a dune entranceway. Smokers will have to remain within 15 feet of the receptacle that will remain in place from May 1 to Oct. 31 of each year. The committee also proposed a total of 15 designated smoking locations adjacent to the Boardwalk from the Inlet to 28th Street. Staff broke the Boardwalk down into three segments. The first segment includes seven locations from South 2nd to 4th streets. The second segment includes five locations from 5th to 16th streets, and the third segment includes three locations from 17th to 28th streets. None of the locations adjacent to the Boardwalk are on any part of the wooden Boardwalk; only on concrete portions and sea wall access platforms. These locations will be marked with a heavy stone-faced smoking receptacles as well as signage will be posted directing smokers to that area as well as educating the public of the designated smoking areas. More; mdcoastdispatch/?p=47774
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:55:58 +0000
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