Old Orchard Beach bans public camping

Old Orchard Beach has adopted rules prohibiting camping on public property and restricting camping on non-campground private property.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the Town Council approved an ordinance change to prohibit overnight stays in tents, campers, recreational vehicles, storage units and other temporary structures on town property, unless in conjunction with a town-approved event. Temporary structures are allowed on the beach, except between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Overnight occupancy of tents, campers, recreational vehicles, storage units and other temporary structures is also prohibited at pay-per-use parking lots, under the new ordinance revision.

Temporary living arrangements in a vehicle, camper, tent or temporary structure on private property that is not a licensed campground are now limited to 15 days. An exemption to this rule would be a special event that has received approval from the town.

Open fires, including cooking fires, on public land require a special event permit or written permission from the town.

These new ordinance changes were made to put clear regulations in place, as the town has seen an increase in people living and sleeping in cars, tents and campers which has led to public safety and security concerns, said Town Manager Diana Asanza.

These new regulations will be enforced by the police department.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.