(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
The police power to promote the public peace, morals, health, safety and general welfare authorizes the City of Avalon to regulate the use of public property consisting of the beach and parks and to impose reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of beach and park use. In accordance with this authority, the City intends to impose reasonable requirements on the use of the beach and parks to maintain and maximize: (1) the natural beauty and aesthetic attractiveness of beach and park areas; (2) the availability of limited beach and park areas for diverse uses; and (3) public safety, including, without limitation, the free flow of pedestrian and vehicle traffic in and around beach and park areas.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all ocean beaches in the City which are maintained for the use of the general public by the City of Avalon, State of California or by any department thereof, or by any other public body. This chapter does not apply to any parks except where a regulation is specified to apply in parks or playgrounds.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
A person shall not enter, be or remain on any beach unless he complies with all of the regulations set forth in this chapter applicable to such beach and with all other applicable provisions of this Code.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
Any person who willfully delays or obstructs any City employee in the performance of his or her duties in any City parks and beaches, or who by his or her conduct, or by threatening language, unreasonably annoys or unreasonably interferes with the use of any City parks and beaches by any other person, shall leave the park or beach upon request made by any public officer authorized by the City, after a warning by the public officer that has not resulted in cessation of the conduct prohibited by this section.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
No fire shall be built, lighted, or maintained on any public beach or park, or on any land owned, managed, or controlled by the City fronting upon or adjacent to any public beach or park, except in a barbeque provided, maintained, and designated by the City for such purpose.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
No person shall camp on, or use for overnight sleeping purposes, any beach or park, or any land owned, managed, or controlled by the City.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, place, or deposit upon any public or private street, sidewalk, or alley or upon any park or other public place in the City any trash, glass, glassware, or crockery, or any bottle, cup, container, plate, or other vessel made of glass, glassware, or crockery, or any rubbish, garbage, cigar, cigarette, food paper, paper wrapping, cardboard, can, receptacle, or other similar material or litter.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, place, throw, or in any manner dispose of any can, receptacle, bottle, paper, water balloon, plastic, food, animal or vegetable matter, rubbish, trash, garbage, or decaying or putrid matter, material, or substance into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, or into Avalon Harbor, or upon the beaches of the City.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
Each person fishing from the public beach shall at all times have due regard for the safety of persons on the beach or in the water when bathers, swimmers or beach patrons are present, and is specifically prohibited against overhead casting or fishing line when swimmers, bathers or beach patrons are present. The supervising lifeguard on duty has the authority to prohibit, restrict or otherwise regulate fishing in the interest of public health, safety and welfare.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
It is unlawful for any person, or their personal property (including towels, beach furniture, shade structures, toys, etc.), to remain on any beaches between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. unless that person is trying to access the ocean. Any items left beyond the permitted times may be removed at the owner's risk. Persons attending special events, programs or activities authorized by the City to be conducted within the beach or recreation facility beyond the hours of use are exempted solely for the duration of the special event, program, or activity authorized by the City or for the hours indicated in any applicable permit issued by the City.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
1. 
No person shall smoke on the beach as defined in this section.
2. 
No person shall dispose of any cigarette, cigar or other tobacco product or any part thereof on the beach except in a designated waste disposal container.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
Consumption of alcohol is prohibited on any City beach. This prohibition includes alcohol, spirits, liquor, wine, beer and every liquid or solid containing one-half of one percent (.5%) or more of alcohol by volume and which is fit for beverage purposes either alone or when diluted, mixed, or combined with other substances.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
Any group of twenty (20) or more using a beach must obtain a permit from the City and must reserve an area for such use. The City shall have the authority to require a cleaning deposit appropriate to the size of the group and the proposed use, and appropriate insurance covering the activity. In addition, the City shall have the right to require appropriate security at the group's expense and to require reimbursement for the services of any City employees required by the group's activities. Failure to obtain this permit shall be a violation of this chapter. The City Council may, by resolution, set a fee for this permit.
For purposes of this section, the term "group" shall mean individuals affiliated with each other either formally or informally using the park for a common purpose including but not limited to families, teams, associations, clubs, classes or instructional groups or other similarly affiliated collections of individuals.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
Except as expressly provided by this code, no person shall sell, offer to sell, or display for sale, or rent, offer to rent, or display for rent, goods, wares, merchandise, foodstuffs, refreshments or other kinds of property or services in any beach.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
No person shall install, erect, or place any sign, recreational equipment (such as volleyball or badminton pole/net, portable play apparatus, and trampoline), fence, fire pit or barbecue, or similar encroachment on any public bay beach, ocean beach, tideland or park unless authorized or permitted to do so by formal action of the City Council, or the written consent of the City Manager.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
1. 
No person shall install, erect or maintain any canopy, awning, umbrella, tent or cover (a "shade covering") larger than six feet in height or wider than six feet square on or in any public beach. Any canopy, awning, umbrella, tent or cover installed, erected or maintained on or in any public beach shall have no side closed to public view.
2. 
No guy wire, guy rope, or exterior brace, stake, or support shall be connected, fastened, or maintained by any person to any structure, stake, rock, or thing on a City beach without City approval.
3. 
A shade covering or group of shade coverings shall not interfere with a lifeguard's ability to see the water or adjacent lifeguard towers, and any shade covering or group of shade coverings shall be immediately relocated at the request of a lifeguard, law enforcement officer, or other authorized personnel. If the shade covering is not removed immediately, or the person owning the shade covering refuses to immediately remove the shade covering, the City shall have the ability to cause the removal of such shade covering as necessary to prevent interference with the lifeguard's view of the water and adjacent lifeguard towers.
(5-20-2025 by Ord. No. 1225-25, eff. 6-20-2025)
No person shall erect, maintain, use or occupy a table larger than 20 inches tall by 20 inches wide on any City beach, unless authorized by special use permit.