The Worcester County Board of License Commissioners voted to deny the application from First Stop OC (First Stop MC Inc.) for a class A beer, wine and liquor license at 106 North Division Street in downtown Ocean City, citing evidence presented at the hearing that the downtown area already contains multiple off‑sale outlets and that approval would likely harm existing licensees.

Attorney and community representatives debated the definition of public "need," with the applicant asserting convenience for local residents and visitors and opponents arguing the downtown is densely served by existing licensees. Multiple downtown business owners and residents testified in opposition, describing steady or declining sales in recent years and expressing concern about loitering, noise and public nuisance problems historically associated with licensees in that corridor.

Opponents produced calls‑for‑service data and letters documenting problems that, they said, fell after a neighboring license was reduced and later relinquished; one local property owner said a fence installed in 2021 reduced loitering and that the presence of alcohol availability had been correlated with public‑space disturbances in the past. Several nearby liquor store owners and downtown merchants told the board the addition of another off‑sale license would further dilute an already saturated market.

After hearing testimony and reviewing correspondence and calls‑for‑service summaries, a commissioner moved to deny the application. Another commissioner seconded, citing the public‑need factors in county rules and Maryland case law that interprets "need" as convenience and suitability rather than absolute necessity. The board agreed that downtown already contains multiple beer/wine/off‑sale and beer/wine/liquor license holders within short walking distance and that granting the application could harm existing licensees and fail the public‑need test.

The board's motion to deny referenced the county's licensing standards and local calls for service and letters from downtown property owners and businesses. The denial was adopted; the transcript records motion and second and the board's decision but does not record a named roll‑call tally in the hearing minutes.