PRAIRIE GROVE -- The city of Prairie Grove will regulate mobile food carts based on how long they plan to set up for business.
Prairie Grove City Council adopted a 2017 Food Cart Ordinance at its meeting last week, allowing mobile food vendors to locate for a limited time on private and public property.
Council members also approved an emergency clause for the ordinance to go into effect immediately. The city expects food trailers to set up for Second Saturday Trades Day, a new community event that kicks off Saturday, March 11, in downtown Prairie Grove. Second Saturday Trades Day is sponsored by Prairie Grove Area Chamber of Commerce.
Regulation of mobile food carts will fall into three categories: short-term operations for 96 or fewer consecutive hours, intermediate-term operations for longer than 96 consecutive hours but fewer than 90 consecutive days, and long-term operations that last longer than 90 consecutive days.
Long-term operations will be treated as a permanent business and vendors will be required to follow regulations that apply to permanent establishments. One requirement for a permanent business is a paved parking lot.
Food cart owners who want to set up for short-term operations for parallel parking spaces must apply for a permit through the city's planning office for an annual fee of $100. Carts must fit within two marked parallel on-street parking spaces.
The applicant is required to have a valid county health department permit, must agree to move to a different location after a 48-hour time period and cannot set up within 100 feet of an existing permanent restaurant.
In addition, the vendor must serve food toward the sidewalk side of the street and cannot cause unsafe conditions for traffic flow or pedestrians. If the food cart is located on private property, the vendor must have permission from the property owner to set up the food trailer.
Mobile food units are not allowed in public parking lots unless they can be set up without blocking existing drive lanes, exits or entrances to the lots.
For short-term operations on private property, vendors must apply for an annual permit for $100, are required to dispose of all trash and must agree to move to a different location after a 96-hour time period.
The private property must be zoned for food and beverage vending and vendors will be required to have written permission to use the space from the property owner.
Requirements for intermediate-term operations on private property include an annual permit from the city planning office, conditional use approval from Prairie Grove Planning Commission and written permission from the property owner.
The applicant agrees to move to a different property after a 90-day time period, agrees to dispose of all waste and agrees that the mobile food cart will not cause an unsafe traffic or pedestrian condition. The property must be zoned to allow food and beverage vending.
The Planning Commission has approved two conditional use requests for mobile food vendors during its last two meetings but these will not fall under the new ordinance. Tooley's BBQ is setting up a food trailer three days a week on private property off Heritage Parkway (U.S. 62) and Mat Stewart received a conditional use permit to operate a shaved ice trailer in Subway's parking lot.
In other business Feb. 20, Council members approved a request to rezone vacant property on West Buchanan Street next to the Post Office from Business to Residential-3. Mike Fidler requested the rezoning to build duplexes on the land.
General News on 03/01/2017