When caterer Michael Marx moved to Ferguson Township after a successful career as a restaurateur in Baltimore, he was surprised by the lack of food trucks in the State College area.
But on Monday night, the Ferguson Township planning commission took a major step toward changing that fact by reviewing a rough draft of a brand new ordinance to allow this new kind of mobile restaurant.
Marx, owner of the State College-based World’s Fare Catering, says he’s received an “absolutely incredible” amount of support for his idea. He says a number of companies based in Ferguson Township have reached out to tell him how much their employees would enjoy having a new option for grabbing grub on the job.
Marx says food trucks would benefit people who work in the township who don’t have many lunch options near them, while also benefiting the township by bringing additional business into the area.
“If anyone’s ever traveled outside Centre County, not even necessarily to a big city, they’ll see that food trucks are alive and kicking,” Marx says. “They exist in a very symbiotic, healthy relationship with restaurants. They fill in the gaps.”
At the planning commission meeting on Monday, Ferguson Township planner Lindsay Schoch said there are many businesses in the township’s industrial and research districts that don’t have easy access to nearby restaurants.
“There is a need for this service in our area,” Schoch said.
The draft ordinance under consideration would allow food trucks to sell food and non-alcoholic drinks in industrial and research zoning districts between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. The trucks must park in the lot of the building they are currently serving, and would only be permitted to stay in a single location for two hours at a time.
Food truck owners would be required to obtain a permit from the township, to be present at their truck at all times during operation, and to clean up any waste or trash before the truck leaves. Other kinds of concession stands, ice cream trucks and home delivery trucks are exempt from this proposed ordinance.
Food trucks would also be subject to all relevant state and federal regulations, and must be properly licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Planning commission member Kurt Homan expressed strong support of the proposed ordinance. He says it make sense as a business model for township residents because “we’re all pressed for more time these days.”
“I think it makes a lot of sense to allow this,” Homan says. “If a business wants this service, they’d contact the vendor, say ‘can you be at here at a certain time,’ and if there’s enough business that relationship will continue. That’s the nature of a free market and free economy.”
Planning commission members wondered whether food trucks operators would set up seating around the truck, but Marx speculated that this “would just be more work” for food truck operators.
The commission also posed questions about possibly allowing signage advertising food trucks around the township, possibly allowing food trucks to operate during hours outside after 7:30 p.m. with proper notification to the township, and possibly allowing food trucks in commercial zoning areas.
The planning commission will continue to discuss the possible ordinance before ultimately sending the proposal to the Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors for final approval.
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