PRAIRIE GROVE -- Prairie Grove City Council last week discussed changes to its zoning ordinance to make it easier for mobile food vendors interested in setting up on a short-term basis.
The Planning Commission in its January meeting approved a conditional use permit for Tooley's BBQ to set up a food truck in a grassy area near Prairie Grove City Hall. The truck would set up Thursday-Saturday on one of the driveways off Heritage Parkway and be gone the rest of the week.
Tooley's request prompted city officials to question if some changes should be made to the zoning ordinance.
Alderman Dale Reed, who chairs the Planning Commission, wondered about making it possible for some mobile food vendors to be approved administratively on a short-term basis, instead of having to go through the Planning Commission process.
"If it's long term, we believe it still needs to come to the commission," Reed said.
Larry Oelrich, director of administrative services and public works, said a committee with Prairie Grove Chamber of Commerce is planning monthly events called 2nd Saturday Trades Day for the downtown area and hopes to have food trucks participate each month.
Ideally, Oelrich said, food trucks would be able to apply for a permit on a Friday as a mobile food vendor for the event and then set up the next day. A permit would be effective for one year so vendors could return other times without having to purchase a new permit.
Oelrich said the Council probably needs to decide what is considered short-term, versus long term.
"Anything over three or four days, I think they should have to go through the Planning Commission," Reed responded.
Another question, Reed said, would be to determine what other regulations food vendors would have to meet. For example, he wondered about parking for food trucks that set up on a long-term basis. Should long-term vendors have to meet the same parking requirements for brick-and-mortar restaurants, Reed asked.
The proposed changes, called the 2017 Food Cart Ordinance, would allow a mobile unit to apply for a permit for a limited time on public and private property through the planning office at City Hall. An annual permit would cost $100. The cart would have to fit within two parallel on-street parking spaces, have a valid county health department permit and be responsible for disposing of all waste and trash.
The applicant would be required to move to a different location after four, 12-hour time periods and could not set up within 100 feet of an existing permanent restaurant.
The Council placed the ordinance on first reading but questioned whether some of the items should be changed in the ordinance. Some thought $100 for a yearly permit might be too high.
In other action, the City Council adopted an amendment to the city's sign ordinance and approved purchasing a three-fourths-ton four-wheel-drive pickup for $23,375 for the water department and a Ford Explorer for the police department for $25,965.
The city also plans to set up email accounts for all Council members so citizens can email them through the city website, instead of their personal email accounts.
In addition, city officials are preparing to install a second wayfinder sign at Mock Street and Heritage Parkway (or U.S. Highway 62). This sign will advertise the aquatic park, Rieff Park and historic downtown area.
General News on 01/25/2017