A proposed food truck ordinance is a vote away from becoming reality in Anna Maria.
Planning and zoning board members unanimously voted Aug. 17 to recommend city commission approval of an ordinance that would establish a 20-by-90-foot area for food trucks to park and serve people at the northwest end of Bayfront Park, 316 N. Bay Blvd.
The measure comes in response to a state law passed in 2020 that preempts local governments from regulating food truck operations, allowing the creation of a “reasonable” space for food trucks to operate.
That space will be in a city right of way at the end of the park, where the current use is sandbagging and construction staging.
City commissioners discussed potentially laying stone in the area, as well as adding parking markers to cap the number of food trucks at four.
Food trucks would be allowed into the area daily on a first-come, first-served basis and operate from dusk to dawn.
Food trucks operating outside the area would be in violation of city code and at risk of receiving a citation.
P&Z Chair Dr. Jose Erbella expressed concern with noise from the area impacting nearby residents. He said food trucks often require generators, which can be loud.
P&Z member David Haddox said the city noise ordinance covered such issues so law enforcement officers could cite food trucks found violating code.
City code provides discretion to such officers to determine noise violations based on volume, intensity, duration, proximity of noise to residences and more.
Haddox suggested possibly designating the food trucks’ service windows to face toward the park to minimize the impact to residents.
P&Z member Bob Carter pointed out that if food trucks were positioned to face the park, generators would be placed behind and closer to residences.
Carter also said he saw no other “reasonable” location for the food truck area within the city.
There was no public comment.
The ordinance will go before city commissioners for a hearing and final reading at their meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, at city hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.
Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at cityofannamaria.com.
Alcohol permit
P&Z members also were unanimous in recommending city commission approval of a special use permit for Brian Seymour, owner of the Anna Maria General Store, to operate a package beer, wine and liquor store at 501 Pine Ave., Unit A.
Seymour, a former city commissioner, resigned from the post in August 2019 shortly after the commission voted against a code amendment that would have allowed the liquor store.
Seymour said during public comment that his decision was not impacted by the vote and was instead due to other issues.
City attorney Becky Vose said the alcohol ordinance had changed since 2019.
Previously, city code prohibited establishments from selling alcoholic beverages within 2,500 feet of a church or another establishment selling alcohol.
However, the provision was eliminated in a 2020 amendment and its removal was carried forward into code revisions adopted earlier this year.
The P&Z board’s next meeting will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, at city hall. Directions to attend via Zoom can be found at cityofannamaria.com.
More of a suggestion than a comment why not supply electric hook up and possibly a water hook up to accommodate the truck vendors (4 generators can get pretty noisy and not only be a disturbance to neighbors but to other beach and park users) the vendors could be charged an additional fee for the hook up services? Because it is a business will the food truck vendors be responsible for their additional garbage generated and charged by the city for the pickup and cleanup of the area.