Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning Department

TO:	David L. Corliss, City Manager
FROM:	Planning Staff
DATE:	August 13, 2014
RE:	Ordinance No. 9026 amending Section 6-1711 of the City Code to remove the time restriction and the limit on the number for Mobile Food Vendors that can be on a site when located on properties that have been site planned for a Mobile Food Vendor use.

Background

Chapter 6 of the City Code was amended in 2011 to allow Mobile Food Vendors to operate on private, non-residential property with a Mobile Food License.  Standards applied to the license included a 3-hour time limitation for each location and permitted no more than 2 Mobile Food Vendor Units on a site at one time.

Recently, requests have been made to allow Mobile Food Vendors to be located on a site in a more permanent nature and to remove the limit on the number of vendors that can be on a property. These requests were related to food truck vendors in the 8^th and Penn development and a shaved ice vendor at 6^th and Monterey Way. 

The shaved ice vendor and the property owner at 804 Pennsylvania Street requested an amendment to the Code to allow a Mobile Food Vendor to operate on the site without a time restriction.   In addition, a developer in the 8^th and Pennsylvania District proposes to locate several food trucks on property west of Pennsylvania Street  similar to the Food Truck Festival, a Special Event which was held on the site on May 10, 2014.   He requested that multiple Mobile Food Vendor units be permitted to operate on a property that has been site planned to designate locations for the vendor units.

Discussion

The proposed amendment removes the 3-hour time limitation and the 2 Mobile Food Vendor unit restriction for properties with a City approved site plan that designates a specific area for the Mobile Food Vendor unit. The time restriction and limitation on the number of units were originally applied to the Mobile Food Vendor license to reduce the possibility of over-crowding in the sponsoring facility’s parking areas.  In staff’s opinion, site planning will ensure the safety of the location and compatibility of the Mobile Food Vendor use with surrounding land uses.   It will still be necessary for the vendor to obtain a Mobile Food Vendor License to operate and all other standards and restrictions of the license will apply.

Requested Action

Adopt on first reading Ordinance No. 9026 amending Code Section 6-1711 Mobile Food Vendors to remove the 3 hour time restriction and 2 Mobile Food Vendor units limitation on a property at one time for properties with a City approved Site Plan that establishes a location for a Mobile Food Vendor unit or units as a permanent or seasonal element of the site.