Ocean City is now hitting a downtown church with $1,000-a-day fines for operating an indoor homeless shelter, turning a long-brewing clash over how the resort town handles people without housing into a full-on showdown. Church leaders say they are keeping the shelter open and will seek federal protections rather than comply with the town’s order.
The town began issuing daily citations this week, and church volunteers say the planning director delivered the first one while staffers were serving lunch. Officials set a June 28 deadline to pay the fines and bring the property into compliance or risk a warrant, according to Fox Baltimore.
Town Cites Zoning, Safety And "Barracks-Style" Concerns
Town leaders insist the fight is about land use and public-safety rules, not the church’s mission. As reported by Delmarva Public Media, the town says turning a meeting room into an overnight sleeping space requires permits, inspections, and approvals that the church did not obtain.
Church: Shelter Stats And Mission
St. Paul’s by-the-Sea says it moved people indoors after officials ordered tents on church property removed, arguing the indoor shelter is a safer, low-barrier option. The church and local reporting say the program has logged roughly 892 overnight stays in 42 nights of operation, averaging about 27 guests per night. Pastor Jill Williams told WBOC the parish will not send people back onto the street.
Legal Fight Looms
The church’s attorney says any effort to shut down the shelter could violate the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and the parish says it will seek federal relief. “We will seek federal protection under both the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,” Pastor Williams told WMDT. Town officials counter that their rules apply to any property that changes its use without the proper permits.
Why The Pushback
Officials say Dewees Hall is designated as a fellowship and meeting space, not an approved overnight housing facility, and that converting it to sleeping quarters triggered zoning and occupancy requirements. The town’s staff directory lists George Bendler as director of Planning & Community Development, the department that enforces land-use rules. The planning office says changes like this typically require permits, inspections, and sometimes special approvals before overnight occupancy is allowed, according to town guidance.
The standoff now sets up an immediate legal and practical test: the town says it will keep up daily enforcement, while the church says it will keep serving and sheltering people and press its claims in court. We will watch for court filings, council action, or a formal town response to the church’s federal notice and update this report as the situation develops.
