Foodies looking to get their grub on the go, and perhaps expand their pallette at the same time, will get their wish. Rules allowing mobile food trucks were approved by the Peachtree City Council Thursday night.

Council decided against adopting a requirement suggested by the planning commission which would have limited mobile food trucks to being operated by existing city restaurants only.

The city has already had a limited number of local mobile food trucks in operation, some of which are used for special events and others that have been operated at the Peachtree City Farmer’s Market.

All mobile food trucks have to follow Georgia food safety and health protection regulations.

The rules adopted by the city require all food trucks to obtain an annual vendor permit from the city, and they would be limited to selling from certain city-approved sites and also at city-sponsored events.

Each food truck will be required to provide proof of a $1 million liability insurance policy that protects the vendor the public and the city from damage, property and injury claims.

Mobile food trucks would be limited to properties that are zoned general commercial, office institutional, light industrial and general industrial. That means that food trucks would not be allowed to operate on city streets, recreational areas and residential neighborhoods, according to city staff.

Also, each vendor site would be allowed to be open no more than two days each week for a maximum of six hours each day.

Property owners must also file an application to provide a mobile food truck vendor site which includes restrictions on access, proximity to fire hydrants and the distance from the nearby road.

The ordinance also forbids mobile food trucks from using flashing or blinking lights and requires all signs to be permanently affixed to the food truck except for a portable menu board, which cannot be located between the truck and the adjacent road.

The food trucks will also be required to provide at least one trash container for public use and they must serve their food on single-serve items such as plastic utensils and paper plates. The trucks must also use only self-contained power and also use a reverse gear signal alarm for the protection of anyone nearby when it is going backwards.

With an eye on making sure the food trucks don’t hurt existing restaurants, the matter will be revisited with a report from city staff in nine months. No one opposed the ordinance but one local business owner suggested that businesses with existing food permits and business licenses be allowed to waive their fee for a food truck service permit.

http://www.thecitizen.com/articles/11-11-2012/ptc-says-go-food-trucks

Planners want to limit trucks to existing city restaurants.

An ordinance laying out rules for mobile food trucks was approved by the Peachtree City Planning Commission at its Oct. 22 meeting.

But the commission is recommending that food trucks be limited to those operated by restaurants that already exist in the city, which might defeat the purpose of the food truck initiative. Food trucks are a nationwide trend as a way to offer food in a given area that may not currently be offered by traditional restaurants.

Food trucks must pass health inspections just like other restaurants, but the city’s proposed rules deal more with operational guidelines. Jimmy Daniel of the Grazing Here food truck wants to have a location in the city where several food trucks can serve at one time on specific days of the week.

The proposed rules, which will be finalized by the city council at an upcoming meeting, would require all food trucks to obtain an annual vendor permit from the city, and they would be limited to selling from certain city-approved sites and also at city-sponsored events.

Each food truck will be required to provide proof of a $1 million liability insurance policy that protects the vendor the public and the city from damage, property and injury claims.

City staff have proposed to limit mobile food trucks to properties that are zoned general commercial, office institutional, light industrial and general industrial. Also, each vendor site would be allowed to be open no more than two days each week for a maximum of six hours each day.

Property owners must also file an application to provide a mobile food truck vendor site which includes restrictions on access, proximity to fire hydrants and the distance from the nearby road.

The ordinance also forbids mobile food trucks from using flashing or blinking lights and requires all signs to be permanently affixed to the food truck except for a portable menu board, which cannot be located between the truck and the adjacent road.

The food trucks will also be required to provide at least one trash container for public use and they must serve their food on single-serve items such as plastic utensils and paper plates. The trucks must also use only self-contained power and also use a reverse gear signal alarm for the protection of anyone nearby when it is going backwards.

http://www.thecitizen.com/articles/11-04-2012/ptc-working-food-truck-rules

Beer ‘growlers’ also on PTC Council’s menu this Thursday night

Food trucks — a growing and popular phenomenon in many areas of the country — are about to get the Peachtree City treatment.

Thursday night the Peachtree City Council will discuss proposed regulations to allow food trucks to operate in the city. The rules were recently approved on a 4-1 vote of the planning commission with a recommendation that the trucks be limited to existing city restaurants.

Such a regulation might defeat the purpose of the food truck initiative as they are a nationwide trend as a way to offer food in a given area that may not currently be offered by traditional restaurants.

The proposed rules would allow property owners to seek a permit for a food truck location where they will be open no more than two days a week for up to six hours each day.

The proposed rules would require all food trucks to obtain an annual vendor permit from the city, and they would be limited to selling from certain city-approved sites and also at city-sponsored events.

Each food truck will be required to provide proof of a $1 million liability insurance policy that protects the vendor the public and the city from damage, property and injury claims.

City staff have proposed to limit mobile food trucks to properties that are zoned general commercial, office institutional, light industrial and general industrial.

Property owners must also file an application to provide a mobile food truck vendor site which includes restrictions on access, proximity to fire hydrants and the distance from the nearby road.

The ordinance also forbids mobile food trucks from using flashing or blinking lights and requires all signs to be permanently affixed to the food truck except for a portable menu board, which cannot be located between the truck and the adjacent road.

The food trucks will also be required to provide at least one trash container for public use and they must serve their food on single-serve items such as plastic utensils and paper plates. The trucks must also use only self-contained power and also use a reverse gear signal alarm for the protection of anyone nearby when it is going backwards.

A proposal to allow craft beer tastings at a growler store also will be vetted Thursday night by the council.

The ordinance will be similar to the wine tasting regulations passed recently and will spell out the size and quantity of samples that will be allowed per person on any given day.

The final document proposed by staff was not available at press time.

The proposal will be discussed by council at its meeting Thursday at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

Another item for council discussion is the possibility of allowing a hair salon to be an allowed use on a parcel zoned for light industrial use. A business owner is making that request to redevelop the vacant My Gym property on Clover Reach near The Avenue shopping center.

http://www.thecitizen.com/articles/11-07-2012/food-trucks-welcome-ptc-rules