Ordinance for food truck use draws questions from county board
Jan. 12—A request to approve a text amendment to the Unified Development Ordinance regarding food trucks turned into a lengthy conversation Monday at the Lee County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The request was presented by the Sanford/Lee County Planning Department to create a section of the ordinance dealing specifically with food trucks.
The UDO sets regulations for the use and development of land for Lee County, Sanford and Broadway. The amendment was approved by Sanford and Broadway last year, according to Amy McNeill, the planning department's zoning administrator.
"This is in response to the increasing number of food trucks," she said.
Food truck operators will now be required to obtain a Mobile Food Vendor Permit from the Department of Community Development "for the operation of any mobile food vendor within the City of Sanford, Town of Broadway or County of Lee," the amendment says.
The permit must be displayed publicly and is valid for one year.
"So, you're limiting the use to one per lot?" Andre Knecht, vice chair of the commissioners asked.
"Yes sir," McNeill replied. "Based on our research we thought it was reasonable."
The trucks can operate in public parks so long as they are properly permitted and get permission from the appropriate governing body or a park administrator.
"Currently, you can still only have one food truck on private property as a temporary use," said Thomas Mierisch, a planner who researched and crafted the ordinance. That requires obtaining a temporary permit from the municipality.
Knecht asked several questions such as how the permits would regulated, how the truck's location would be verified, what other businesses must have permits and why food truck parks weren't included in the amendment.
In response to the last question, Mierisch said the parks could have been included "but was the permit for individual use rather than the park."
Commissioner Bill Carver asked whether a second public hearing would be needed if the Planning Board made changes in response to the voiced concerns.
No, McNeill said.
