City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 1 City Council
Food Truck Zoning Code Amendment
RZA 25-08 & SPA 26-02
May 5th, 2026
City of Paso Robles – City Council 2
City Council Legislative Timeline
Review
August 5th, 2025
• What are the permitting
standards?
• What are the operational
requirements?
1st Food Truck Ad Hoc
Meeting
September 22nd, 2025
• Gather feedback from public
2nd Food Truck Ad Hoc
Meeting
November 12th, 2025
• Staff report back on
highlighted topics
City Council
Recommendations
December 16th, 2025
• Finalized operational
requirement updates
• Recommended zoning
code amendment
Planning Commission
Recommendation
April 14th, 2026
• Recommend amendments
to City Council
City Council 1st
Reading
May 5th, 2026
• 1st reading of zoning
code amendments
City of Paso Robles – City Council 3
Food Truck NOT a Food Truck
City of Paso Robles
– City Council
4 Food Truck Regulation Areas
1. Food Truck Regulations
private property
zoning regulations
PRMC 21.69.120
2. City property
regulated by Park Permits
or Special Event Permits
3. Sidewalk vendors
regulated by California Gov
Code 51038 and
PRMC 3.28.390
4. Street Vendors
regulated by
PRMC 12.32.140 – 10 minutes max to vend
products
City of Paso Robles – City Council 5
Obtain an approved
mobile food facility (MFF)
permit: County of SLO
Apply for a City
Business License
Acknowledge FOG
(Fat, Oil, and Grease)
and Discharge
requirements
Acknowledge operational
requirements
Current City Permitting Process
and
Obtain food truck permit
City Industrial
Waste
Planning Department
Fire Department
Acquire Fire and Life
Safety Permit
Renewal/inspection required every year
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 6 Food Truck Operational Requirements (City)
Located on Private Property
Property Owner Written Approval Subject to noise provisions (Chapter 21.82) Accessory to Permanent Business
On Paved Surface Parking
Litter Removal
No Discharge of Liquid
Temporary Shade Structure Removal
Established Hours of Operation
On-site Circulation not impacted
Shall Not Block Egress
No Overnight Equipment Storage
City of Paso Robles – City Council 7
Operational Requirement Updates
1. Food trucks will utilize generator acoustic panels
2. The following accessory furniture is permitted:
• 1 shade structure, no more than 120 square feet in size, • Table(s) totaling no more than 24 square feet in size, and • 8 chairs
3. Require a minimum setback of 9 feet for food trucks with service windows facing the public right-of-way.
4. Temporary Use Permits will not be granted on private property within 100 feet of City Park.
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 8 City Council Zoning Code Amendment Recommendation
1. Amend Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120 to require a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for ALL food trucks operating in the City and vending to the public. Exception - food truck operating as a caterer for an event are not required to have a TUP.
2. Amend Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120 to require on-site commercial businesses hosting more than 7 events in a year to obtain a Temporary Use Permit for food trucks to participate in reoccurring events.
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 9 …shall not apply to a food truck(s) as part of
–City Events
– A certified farmer’s market,
–an authorized street fair
–or other event occurring under a special permit
issued by the City of Paso Robles
Section 21.69.120 (Food Trucks and Food Truck Courts)
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 10 The provisions of Subsection 21.69.120.D(1) (Temporary Use Permit Required) shall not apply to a food truck operating as a caterer (invited by a commercial business to provide food and/or beverages at a commercial business site) at a special event or events for up to 7 days in a fiscal year (July 1 – June 30), if only one food truck is operating at the special event or events at a time. Catering food trucks shall comply with Subsection 21.69.120.F (Operational Requirements for All Food Trucks)
21.69.120(c) Caterers
Chris’s tasting room invites Steve’s food truck
to cater their annual special event
• No TUP required
• Operational standards required
City of Paso Robles – City Council 11
Who Needs a Temporary Use Permit?
21.69.120.D(1)Permitting Requirements
Food Trucks
a) Food trucks shall not operate without
approval of a Temporary Use Permit (Chapter
21.20). No Temporary Use Permit shall be
issued for a food truck unless it conforms to
the requirements of Subsection 21.69.120.E
(Temporary Use Permits for Food Trucks) and
Subsection 21.69.120.F (Operational
Requirements for Food Trucks).”
Commercial Business Sites
b) A commercial business site shall require
approval of a Temporary Use Permit
(Chapter 21.20) if the site hosts catering
food trucks, as defined and regulated in
Subsection 21.69.120.C, at a special event
or events for more than 7 days in a fiscal
year.”
Chris’s tasting room hosts 7 or more
events with Steve’s food truck
Chris would obtain a TUP
Steve’s food truck want to vend to
the public at John’s Auto body shop
Steve would obtain a TUP
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 12 In addition to the standards in Chapter 21.20 (Temporary Use Permits), Temporary Use Permits for Food Trucks shall be subject to the following:
1. Duration. Food Truck Temporary Use Permits shall last no more than 365 days and shall expire at the end of the fiscal year (as defined by Section 3.28.200 (Business license tax—How and when payable)) in which it is issued.
2. Payment. Food Truck Temporary Use Permits are subject to the adopted fee for a Temporary Use Permit and are not prorated for portions of a fiscal year.
3. Sites. Up to 2 specific locations included in a single submittal for a Food Truck Temporary Use Permit application are eligible to be reviewed and included in the issuance of the permit.
21.69.120(E) Temporary Use Permit for Food Trucks
City of Paso Robles – City Council 13
Existing Permit Requirements Proposed Permit Requirements
1. Food Truck (single vehicle
operating in one location 7 days
or less).
2. Food Truck (single vehicle
operating in one location more
than 7 days but less than 1 year)
3. Food Truck (single vehicle
operating in one location 1 year
or more).
4. Food Truck Court (2 or more).
1. Temporary Use Permit
Required
a. Food Trucks
b. Commercial Business Sites
2. Conditional Use Permit
Required.
a. Food Truck Courts
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 14 Equipment Storage. Food trucks and associated equipment shall not be stored overnight at the location of vending
Temporary Shade Structures. Temporary shade structures shall be removed whenever the food truck is not in operation.
Section 21.69.120(F) Operational Requirements
Temporary Shade Structures:
City of Paso Robles – City Council 15
Section 21.69.120(F) Operational Requirements
Business License
The vendor shall have a valid business license issued by the City pursuant to Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 3.28 (Business License Tax)As part of its application for a business license, the vendor shall furnish to the City evidence of insurance, as deemed acceptable in the reasonable discretion of the City, against liability for death or injury to any person as a result of ownership, operation, or use of its food truck.
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 16 All food trucks shall be inspected and approved by a jurisdiction within the Central Coast Fire Prevention Association (CCFPA) prior to issuance of its initial business license and from time to time thereafter in the discretion of a jurisdiction within the Central Coast Fire Prevention Association (CCFPA). At a minimum, all cooking equipment producing grease-laden vapors shall be protected by a UL 300 listed automatic fire extinguishing system. A Class K fire extinguisher shall be provided within each vending vehicle at an accessible location. All fire protection equipment shall be properly maintained and serviced at intervals required by the California Fire Code.
Section 21.69.120(F) Operational Requirements
Fire Department Inspections
City of Paso Robles – City Council 17
Chapter 21.20 Temporary Use Permits
21.20.020: Exempt Temporary Uses
The following uses do not require a temporary use Permit:
1. Single food truck operating in one location less than seven days (subject to Section 21.69.120).
The following activities may be approved by a temporary use permit:
1. Single food truck operating in one location seven or more days but not no more than one year (subject to Section 21.69.120).
Chapter 21.20 Temporary Use Permits
21.20.030 Allowed Temporary Uses
City of Paso Robles – City Council 18
Section 21.91.070(c) “F” Definitions
County of San Luis Obispo
Environmental Health Services
A "mobile food facility" is any vehicle
used in conjunction with a commissary or
other permanent food facility upon which
food is sold or distributed at retail.
Proposed PRMC Food Truck Definitions
Food Truck. A vending vehicle or mobile
food facility selling food and/or beverages
in an operable motorized coach or trailer
with current department of motor vehicles
registration and a current food safety
permit acceptable to the San Luis Obispo
County Environmental Health Services
Division
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 19 Table 21.32-1 Zoning District Regulations
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 20 Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 21 City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 22 Does not qualify as a “project” under CEQA.
▪ “[a]n activity is not subject to CEQA if … the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378” and,
▪ alternatively, is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed ordinance may have a significant effect on the environment.
CEQA
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 23 December 16th City Council Goals
1. Amend Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120 to require a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) for ALL food trucks operating in the City and vending to the public. Exception - food truck operating as a caterer for an event are not required to have a TUP.
2. Amend Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120 to require on-site commercial businesses hosting more than 7 events in a year to obtain a Temporary Use Permit for food trucks to participate in reoccurring events.
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 24
1. Take no action, which will leave the existing Zoning Ordinance and Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan unchanged;
2. Introduce for first reading, by title only, Ordinance XXXX to approve Rezone 25-08 to amending Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120 (Food Trucks and Food Truck Courts), Chapter 21.20 (Temporary Use Permits), Table 21.32-1 (Zoning District Use Regulations), and Section 21.91.070 (“F” Definitions); and Specific Plan Amendment 26-02 amending Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan Table 5.3-1 (Allowed Land Uses and Permitting Requirements), based on findings.
3. Introduce for first reading, by title only, a modified version of Ordinance XXXX to approve Rezone 25-08 and Specific Plan Amendment 26-02.
4. Refer the project back to the Planning Commission or staff for additional analysis.
City Council Options
City of Paso Robles – City Council Public Comments call 805-865-7276 25 Introduce for first reading, by title only, Ordinance XXXX amending Paso Robles Municipal Code Section 21.69.120, Food Trucks and Food Truck Courts; Chapter 21.20, Temporary Use Permits; Table
21.32-1, Zoning District Use Regulations; and Section 21.91.070, “F” Definitions; and amending the Uptown/Town Centre Specific Plan Table 5.3-1, Allowed Land Uses and Permitting Requirements.
Recommendation (Option 2)