In the following letter, Greensboro Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan masterfully forces Greensboro City Council members to choose sides between Greensboro's downtown vultures and Greensboro's working class. Which will it be?
"The main issue that we have with downtown food trucks is not the BID prohibition, which could be easily lifted, but the "CB" zoning designation which disallows food trucks (on both public and private property). The large majority of BID is zoned CB. As previously stated, we need to start the process to amend our Permitted Use Table to allow "Mobile Food Vendor, Motorized" in the CB zoning district. Food trucks are currently allowed, under certain conditions; "Additional Use Standards" (section 30-8-10.4T) in C-M, C-H, LI and HI.
Those Additional Use Standards are:
(1) Only one mobile food vendor is allowed per zoned lot, except for lots within the Downtown Business District, as defined in the Greensboro Code of Ordinances, Section 276-231 and following (pushcart sales)
(2) In addition to permitted zoning districts, motorized mobile food vendors may also be located to serve any active construction site.
(3) No portion of the vendor sales area may occupy any required parking spaces for the principal use of the lot.
(4) Outside of the Downtown Business District, no portion of the vendor sales area may encroach on a public sidewalk, any portion of a clearly defined pedestrian walkway between the public sidewalk and the principal use of the lot, or any portion of direct vehicular access to the lot.
(5) Mobile food vendors directly associated with not-for-profit organizations, as defined in the Greensboro Code of Ordinances, Section 13-49, or for temporary events as defined in the Greensboro Code of Ordinances, Section 26-247, and the following shall be exempt from these requirements.
I think that we may also want to amend the Additional Use Standards to allow for more than one food truck per site and we must address the issue of not occupying "any required parking spaces for the principal use of the lot" and any other issue that will impede success.
According to Mike Kirkman, "Properties with any other zoning designations do not allow mobile food vendors as a permitted use. However mobile food vendors associated with temporary events or active construction sites are allowed anywhere in the city as they are exempt from the zoning district requirements." We were able to allow the pilot program because it is a temporary event.
According to Mujeeb it will take approximately 60 days to make this text amendment due to the advertising, required public hearing and vote.
Denise, I know staff has been working on this, but when can we start the public process?
This is one of the reasons I advocated for a pilot program and have always said the pilot program and amending the ordinance are not mutually exclusive. Let's do it, but let's do it right."
Via EdCone.com.
