The Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors got their first taste of a new food truck ordinance on Monday night, and now they’re hungry for more.
Township planner Lindsay Schoch presented the supervisors with a draft ordinance to regulate food trucks in the township. Although the draft ordinance puts a number of limitations on food trucks, the supervisors seemed willing to loosen most of the proposed constraints.
“Why be so restrictive?” supervisor Drew Clemson asked.
The draft ordinance would allow food trucks to operate between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. in certain zoning districts. Food truck operators would be required to obtain a permit from the township listing the locations where they plan to operate, and would be subject to all relevant local, state and federal health requirements.
The supervisors were generally open to allowing food trucks to operate earlier in the morning and later in the evening, though they seemed to draw the line at overnight hours.
The supervisors also supported the idea of allowing food trucks in more areas than just industrial and research zoning districts, though they disagreed on the specifics. Township manager Mark Kunkle pointed out that the language of the ordinance might include concession stands that set up at state auctions, which are held in all kinds of zoning districts.
Board chairman Dick Mascolo voiced opposition to allowing food trucks in residential areas, but supervisor Steve Miller said it might be permissible as long as the trucks didn’t set up in public rights-of-way.
“Maybe we can use language that says food trucks are allowable in residential areas under certain circumstances that we could list,” Clemson said. “That way its open to the whole township, but it still puts a slight restriction on it.”
Township staffers began working on the draft food truck ordinance in April, after local restaurateur and caterer Michel Marx came to the board with the idea of starting a food truck business. The draft ordinance discussed by the supervisors on Monday will be sent back for further consideration by the planning commission before ultimately coming back to the supervisors for final approval.
“This is going to be a learning process,” Clemson said. “I’m looking forward to it. This is a neat idea.”
The supervisors also approved Ray Stolinas as Ferguson Township’s new planning and zoning director. Stolinas currently serves as the Bradford County director of planning and zoning, and will begin his new position in Ferguson Township on August 31.
Ferguson Township Manager Mark Kunkle selected Stolinas as the new planning and zoning director based on his extensive professional history. In addition to his work with Cambira County, Stolinas is also a certified planner with experience coordinating councils of governments and drafting zoning and land use ordinances.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misidentified Stolinas as the planning and zoning director of Cambria County instead of Bradford County.
