FOOD TRUCK REGULATIONS … The Street Tacos El Primo #2 food truck, seen here at its current operating location in front of Marco’s Pizza on Airport Highway in Swanton, partially instigated new mobile food vender regulations approved by the Swanton Planning Commission at its most recent meeting. The truck has been operating in Swanton for an extended period of time, first in the parking lot of the former Rite Aid before moving to its current location.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Swanton Planning Commission discussed new proposed regulations on food trucks and outdoor RV storage during its meeting on Wednesday evening.
The commission does not pass new laws but passes along recommendations to the Swanton Village Council for final approval.
During the meeting, they approved a positive recommendation on the food truck regulations while asking for more clarity on and reworking of the RV storage regulations before passing them to the council.
Their recommendation for food trucks was at least partially instigated by the Street Tacos El Primo #2 food truck, which already operated for an extended period of time in the parking lot of the former Rite Aid location before moving across the street to a location in front of Marco’s Pizza when work began on the soon-to-be AutoZone.
Village Administrator Shannon Shulters said the truck seems like a “literally permanent fixture” in Swanton.
The law would require any “mobile food vendor” operating on either public or private property in the village to obtain a permit at a cost of $150 per year for a calendar year of operation or $100 per event for special event participants. Vendors with a pre-existing brick-and-mortar location in Swanton would be exempt from the fee.
Vendors would also have to provide proof of a state food license, $1 million in liability insurance, a plan for power and water sources, a fire safety inspection through the Swanton Fire and Rescue Division, and a site plan or description of the proposed operating location and hours.
The fire department inspections are currently free, but Shulters said Fire Chief Cuyler Kepling is looking to change that.
The commission voted to pass along a positive recommendation on the regulations to the council, with the understanding that council members would also make a final determination on the permit cost and the potential for tiered pricing depending on the vendor’s proposed length of operation.
RV STORAGE REGULATION
The commission also considered new regulations on RVs, which would limit their storage in front and side yards to 72 hours within a 21-day period without obtaining a permit from the village.
Obtaining a permit would authorize its storage for a maximum of 90 consecutive days per season but require its location to be on an impervious surface such as asphalt or concrete, or another village-approved impervious surface.
The RVs would not be permitted to be stored on any roadway. The commission passed the proposed regulation back to Shulters for additional changes and tweaking before making a final decision at their next meeting.
ZONING CHANGE
The commission held a public hearing before voting on the zoning change of a pair of properties on Munson Road from B3 central business to R1 single-family residential.
Only one member of the public spoke, stating they had no problem with the change, only asking a question about whether or not certain trees on the properties would be cut down.
Shulters reported there is already a party interested in purchasing the properties, which were subdivided from the original parcel in preparation for their sale to said party.
The commission voted to approve the rezoning.