Tuesday, Jan. 10 2012 6:54PM
City to look at food trucks downtown, other areas
By Miranda Wycoff, mwycoff@lsjournal.com
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ReprintIn the last few months, a new type of business has been catering to downtown Lee’s Summit customers, and while some are embracing the flavor, others have found a sour taste in their mouths. In October and November, two mobile food vendors applied for a special permit with the city of Lee’s Summit to cater to downtown patrons after hours.
One is an existing storefront that wanted to expand its hours by serving the late-night crowd and the other, a local start-up. Neighborhood Cafe’s Rolling Cafe, which centers it’s business on breakfast favorites, and Little Italy, have been parking trucks downtown on most Friday and Saturday nights hoping the late-night cravings will strike a patron of one of the district’s nine night-life establishments.
But because the city doesn’t have a specific ordinance to deal with these types of businesses, Director of Planning and Development Bob McKay issued them trial Special Events Permits until the city council could address the issue further. On Thursday, the council took up the item, and decided to vote on a resolution issuing an administrative delay on the processing of all further mobile food vendor special events permits until it can create an ordinance. But that’s good news for the Rolling Cafe, Little Italy and any other vendor looking to submit an application, because the delay won’t go into effect until the council can meet again to vote on the issue – likely the Jan. 19 meeting. And once the administrative delay is put into place, the vendors who already have a permit can continue to operate.
But the council did make sure to address some issues some downtown storefront owners had with the trucks.
The Rolling Cafe’s previous permit indicated that they would operate on Friday and Saturdays only from the hours of 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the public right-of-way. Little Italy’s permit had the same days and place requirements, but its hours differed slightly. They were listed from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
In an effort to keep the mobile vendors from competing with downtown business owners operating out of storefronts, the council mandated that hours for any food vendor operating downtown should be from 9 p.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturdays only.
This seemed to satisfy Downtown Deli owner Tammy Jo Tyner, one of the more vocal business owners, who worried the trucks would compete with her business.
The council also indicated they did not want the trucks to park in front of other restaurants or establishments during operating hours.
McKay said the time of operation and the location are the only two restrictions the council put on the mobile food vender permits. Other restrictions will be addressed as the city develops its ordinance.
“I’m pretty happy,” said Tony Olsen, co-owner of Neighborhood’s Rolling Cafe. “The (council) showed a lot of support for trying new things, and they seemed open to suggestions and open to allowing us to continue growing as a business.” Olsen said he tries to look at this issue from both sides because he also owns Neighborhood Cafe in downtown.
“We definitely don’t want to see the (future ordinance) open up downtown as a free-for-all for mobile vendors. I definitely think that late-night time frame is appropriate for our downtown,” he said.
Michelle Franke, co-owner of Little Italy agreed. As a life-long “Eastern Jackson County girl,” she said she hopes the city ordinance is restrictive enough keep the integrity of downtown alive. “Downtown Lee’s Summit is about the small shops and business owners, but at night time the atmosphere changes – and not in a bad way. It’s still classy, and it needs to stay that way even with the addition of mobile food venders,” Franke said. “There’s nothing wrong with downtown Kansas City or Westport, but that doesn’t fit here and the city needs ordinances and guidelines in place.”
Franke said she takes great pride in the appearance of her truck and in making sure the location in which she does business stays clean and attractive.
“If a balance is maintained between the venders and the storefront owners, it will be good for everyone involved,” Olsen said.
However, while both vendors agreed they see a future ordinance as restrictive to weekend nights in the downtown area, they do hope the council can broaden the scope of operation in other areas of the city. “We want the city to keep an open mind about other areas,” Olsen said.
He and Franke said they would like to be able to serve lunch at business parks or job sites around the community.
McKay said the city staff and council will have 90 days to decide what type of action they would like to take to govern mobile food vender permits. One option would be to make a zoning amendment to the city’s Unified Development Ordinances, which McKay said would require a public hearing.
Another option, and one that other cities have seemed to use, is to look at adding it to the city’s codes.
Right now, a small city staff committee has been put together to research what other cities are doing and discussing potential restrictions and language.
The issue will also go to the council’s community development committee, which will probably take it up Jan. 18.
“This thing is so new, we have a lot to take into consideration,” McKay said.
