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CITY COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 8, 2022
MOBILE VENDING / FOOD TRUCKS
Community & Economic Development
RiversideCA.gov
2 1. Mobile food vending is protected by California Vehicle Code Section 22455.
2. The City is able to adopt requirem ents to regulate the time, place, and manner of mobile food trucks.
3. California Retail Food Code regulat es health and sanitation aspects of food vending, including from food trucks.
4. Riverside County Health Department inspects and approves all food facilities, including food trucks and issues permit/sticker.
BACKGROUND
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3 Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) Section 5.36 regulates food trucks and currently limits them to selling “pre-packaged” food only.
Supporters of food trucks state:
1. They provide an opportunity to increase jobs and businesses;
2. They offer opportunities to provide food choices where zoning precludes restaurants;
3. They can increase activity in struggling business districts;
4. They signal to other potential businesses that the community is adapting to the evolving economy and supporting entrepreneurship; and
5. They are a way for restaurateurs to test the local market for future brick- and- mortar facilities.
BACKGROUND
RiversideCA.gov
4 Reasons commonly given in opposition:
Public Safety
1. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic concerns
2. View obstructions for law enforcement
3. Increase in calls for service/disturbing the peace
Community Impacts
1. Security, trash, odors, noise, sanitation, etc.
Economic Impacts
1. Competition with brick-and-mortar restaurants
BACKGROUND
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5 Community Feedback:
1. Some fully supported legalized food trucks offering cooked food throughout the City;
2. Others supported the concept of food trucks serving cooked food, but thought that they should be restricted/regulated and allowed to operate only in certain parts of the City that are not serviced by restaurants; and
3. Others felt that a decision on this matter should be postponed for at least 12 months to allow local restaurants a chance to recover from COVID-19 challenges without also needing to compete with an influx of additional mobile food vending businesses.
BACKGROUND
RiversideCA.gov
6 On May 27, 2021, Staff presented options for consideration by the Land Use, Sustainability & Resilience Committee regarding food trucks who voted 3-0 as follows:
“After discussion, it was moved by Member Edwards and seconded by Chair Plascencia to direct staff to draft an ordinance amending Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 5.36 to allow mobile food trucks to operate in compliance with State and County guidelines and return a draft of the ordinance to this committee in September 2021.”
BACKGROUND
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7 On September 13, 2021, the Land Use, Sus tainability & Resilience Committee reviewed a draft ordinance and further directed staff to:
1) Create a time limit for food truck operations;
2) Revise the language in Finding (A);
3) Clarify the differences between an alley and a street; 4) Complete additional research on including food trucks in BIDS; 5) Account for food trucks operating on private property; and 6) Propose excluding food trucks from the same park lands as sidewalk vendors.
BACKGROUND
RiversideCA.gov
8 Time restrictions:
1. Sunrise to sunset in residential areas
2. Sunrise to midnight in all other zones
Finding (A) proposed language:
“Mobile food vending has the potential to foster an active and social pedestrian environment in communities throughout the City; however vending vehicles can also create certain dangers to public health, safety and welfare if not adequately regulated.”
Street vs. Alley
Clarified through definitions of both taken from elsewhere in the RMC.
Parking in alleys is currently prohibited and staff recommends this also apply to food trucks.
DISCUSSION
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9 Business Improvement Districts (BIDS)
1. Business that register in BIDS are automatically charged fees and included
2. RMC regulates BIDS in different section.
Private Property
1. Permitted uses regulated by Title 19 – Zoning
2. Food trucks periodically operate on private property (ie. - lunch trucks serving construction sites)
3. Temporary operation of food trucks without triggering need for City approval as long as:
a. There are no more than 2 trucks
b. Trucks do not encumber designated required parking
c. Limited to nonresidential zones
DISCUSSION
RiversideCA.gov
10 Park Restrictions
1. Align with restrictions imposed on sidewalk vendors
2. Restricted in park with approved concessionaire while operating
3. Restricted from operating in the following open space type parks:
a. Box Springs Mountain Open Space.
b. Challen Park Open Space.
c. Mount Rubidoux Park and San Andreas Avenue/Glenwood Drive between Tequesquite Avenue and Fourteenth Street.
d. Pachappa Hill Open Space.
e. Quail Run Open Space.
f. Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park.
DISCUSSION
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11 STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Envision Riverside 2025 Strategic Plan Priorities
Cross-Cutting Threads
#3 Economic Opportunity
Community Trust
Equity
Fiscal Responsibility
Innovation
Sustainability &
Resiliency
RiversideCA.gov
12 That the City Council:
1. Approve and adopt an ordinance revising mobile vending/food trucks - Riverside Municipal Code Chapter 5.36.
RECOMMENDATION
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