The Walworth County Board County Zoning Agency voted unanimously Jan. 20 to move forward with revising the county zoning code regarding food trucks.
The revised ordinance would allow B-1 zoned areas – local business districts – to host food trucks. The county already allows mobile food trucks in the general business (B-2), Waterfront Business (B-3), Highway Business (B-4) districts and Planned Commercial Recreational (B-5) districts, as well as P-1 and P-2 (recreational and institutional park districts) and M-1 and M-2 districts, industrial and heavy industry districts.
“For some reason, it skipped B-1,” said Matt Weidensee, the site planner and hearing facilitator for the Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management Department.
In addition to changing the zoning requirements to allow for the food trucks in B-1, the amendments to the ordinance would also limit the number of food trucks allowed in a specific, measurable area. One food truck per 1/2 acre of land would be allowed, up to a maximum of three allowed on a lot or zoned area of greater than one acre.
Weidensee went over the notes with the zoning authority at the Jan. 20 meeting, saying that the issues with the code stem from no one ever considering mobile food trucks when planning in the downtown area.
“If you stuck your hand out the window with food, you’d hit the wall of the building next to you,” he said.
He added that food trucks are allowing more people to eat outdoors, which is an option after the indoor smoking band by Wisconsin several years ago.
Weidensee, along with zoning agency chair Rick Stacey, asked the committee to contemplate what they felt was appropriate. In addition to the zoning change, Weidensee said members needed to address allowing residents to hire food trucks for private events, like graduation and anniversary parties, and whether they should allow more than one food truck and apply the density numbers to private property as well.
The proposed timeline, after the zoning agency approved getting a draft ordinance put together, would be bringing that ordinance back to the committee in February, have a public hearing in March and then make a decision on the ordinance in April.
Stacey said that he wanted to make sure that the board doesn’t overreach its authority. He said he didn’t want the responsibility of telling property owners what they can and cannot have.
The ordinance change would allow a food truck on residential property every 90 days or twice a year – with no conditional use permit needed.
What the current ordinance allows
At the moment, the mobile food truck ordinance requires:
• Approval of a conditional use allowed after considering such evidences as may be presented at the public hearing bearing upon the general purpose and intent of this ordinance.
• Food trucks to meet all zone district and other use requirements, such as off-street parking (in no case shall food truck and parking areas be closer than 25 feet to any rights of way), ingress and egress routes, possible impervious surface calculation, sanitation including wastewater disposal, state health inspection and use in conjunction with other uses on the property as a planned unit development.
• Mobile food trucks in the A-4 zone district only allowed during agriculturally related events. Mobile food trucks in the M-1 and M-2 are allowed as commercial services facility.
• Mobile food trucks can be approved on a seasonal/yearly basis.
