County Commissioners held a hearing Tuesday to discuss codifying the rules governing St. Johns County’s food trucks, though some food truck owners want to see changes before the final regulations are adopted. County officials and food truck operators agree food trucks have operated under ambiguous rules and that codifying the industry is long overdue, but disagree on a few specific regulations.
The ordinance mandates 100-foot setbacks from all property lines and a minimum number of seats and parking spaces, but the most controversial rule was the proposed operating hours for food trucks — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Justin Tahilramani, who owns The Outpost @Old Moultrie food truck park, said the proposed ordinance is a “good start” but that the operating hours will limit breakfast and dinner service.
“8 a.m. to 8 p.m. is just not tenable,” said Tahilramani, whose food truck park was briefly shut down earlier this year after a zoning dispute with the county. Tahilramani argued the county does not impose operating hours on most businesses and food trucks shouldn’t be treated differently. He pushed for a 10 p.m. end time on weekends and called for a town hall to gather input.
Board Chair Clay Murphy pushed back, stating that all sorts of businesses are subject to time regulations, but said he would be open to expanding the hours to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Commissioner Ann Taylor agreed, noting that many families do not eat dinner before 8 p.m. Commissioner Krista Joseph was more skeptical, worrying that late-night food truck activity could be a noise issue for nearby residences. Joseph also defended the 100-foot buffers, which some food truck owners urged the commission to cut in half to encourage infill and small food truck parks.
Tuesday’s hearing was only the first reading of the ordinance. It must next go before the Planning and Zoning Agency on Aug. 6 before returning to the County Commission for final passage.
