As Riverside’s village board continues to nail down the role food trucks could have in the village’s economic landscape, trustees agreed to staff suggestions that those operating outside of residents’ private events must park in private parking lots at least 100 feet from restaurant entrances and 75 feet from residences.
After the board on April 3 asked village staff to identify where in town independent food trucks could legally park without infringing on brick-and-mortar restaurants, Assistant Village Manager Ashley Monroe said at the board’s May 15 meeting that there were 10 private parking lots, all of them along or just off Harlem Avenue, where a food truck could park.
These locations include lots at the current Star Buds location, the Riverside Citgo at the corner of Longcommon Road, the Sherwin Williams on Burlington Street, the vacant lot eyed for a new Star Buds store on Burlington Street, a vacant lot off Ogden Avenue and several others.
As the board discussed in April, there will be a $30 fee for food trucks contracted for private events in residential areas to park in town, unless the truck parks on private property for a closed event, Monroe said.
She said staff recommended against allowing food trucks in Riverside’s central business district near the train station.
“Street parking is already limited in our downtown district, so if we were to allow a business-licensed food truck — we’re talking about somebody who can operate as they choose — it would be really difficult to accommodate without displacing other users of the street, conflicting with existing parking needs or encountering some of these separation distances that we’re talking about implementing,” she said.
While Monroe had proposed allowing food trucks to street park along Harlem Avenue, some members of the village board said they felt it would be unfair to residents and business owners alike.
“I recall all of Harlem Avenue having a parking issue, just like you expressed that we had in our downtown district,” Trustee Alex Gallegos said. “I don’t see how we’re going to allow trucks to park there and take up parking that is essential to the growth of those businesses there.”
Trustee Cristin Evans said there would need to be a benefit to Riverside’s existing community to allow food trucks to park on the street.
“It can’t just be the village making accommodations for the food truck if there’s no payoff for the residents or the community. There has to be some give and take there,” she said.
Trustee Elizabeth Kos said it would be “inequitable” to allow street parking in the Harlem Avenue business district but not downtown.
The board appeared split on whether food trucks should be allowed to operate in town without a limit on the number of times they can open. Evans proposed a limit of twice per week for each food truck to avoid having them draw business from Riverside’s brick-and-mortar restaurants. Other trustees seemed not to support such a limit; Gallegos said a private business’s operations are driven by supply and demand rather than up to the village’s control.
After seemingly reaching an impasse, the board agreed to think more about the matter and discuss it again at a future meeting.
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