Vacation hot spot cracks down on beach setups with $500 fines for sun shades, canopies

Vacationers visiting Laguna Beach, California, this summer could face fines of up to $500 under new rules restricting large shade structures along the city’s shoreline. Some residents are applauding the move — while others are blasting it as overly restrictive.

Beginning May 26, tents, canopies, easy-ups and other oversized shade coverings will be prohibited across most of its beaches, the city announced in an Instagram post.

Under the new policy, only single-pole umbrellas will generally...