Thursday night the St. Cloud City Council passed an ordinance that will allow food trucks to continue to operate within certain areas of the City of St. Cloud.
The ordinance will allow food trucks to operate within the Highway Business zoning designation under a Conditional Use Permit. In the past, city zoning laws did not allow food trucks, but the Florida Legislature passed a law that took effect Oct. 1 precluding local governments from banning food trucks.
Before voting to adopt the ordinance, Council struck some of the proposed restrictions, including those that would have required food trucks to be on parcels at least one acre in size, be 500 feet from existing brick and morter restaurants, and one that would have limited the food truck permits to 12 months,. with no opportunity to renew at 24 months.
“I don’t have a problem with them being here,” said Council Member Chuck Cooper, who later made the motion to approve the ordinance.
Council Member Linette Matheny said this ordinance is just a starting place. “This is not the end of the conversation; it’s just the beginning.”
She noted that there may be opportunities to establish a food truck park within the city, and Council directed staff to explore city property that may be usable for a food truck park.
