Jacksonville Food Trucks: New Legislation is Needed

[Buforddawg]

</begin sarcasm font> Jacksonville has been saved! We will now have a vibrant downtown core that everyone from every corner of Jacksonville and the state of Florida will come because they will not have to worry about those nasty food trucks hawking their nasty food on the street corners of our BOLD NEW CITY OF THE SOUTH! </end sarcasm font>

Just another reason not to go downtown. I'll just keep my butt here on the South Bank because it is obvious that the city council doesn't want the downtown core to vibrant and a place to be and be seen.

[Foodonwheels]

This is not happening just here in Jacksonville, this is a nation wide trend. (Legislation)

http://mobile-cuisine.com/off-the-wire/new-orleans-food-trucks-fight-parking-rights/?wt=3

[Foodonwheels]

Also, time to head to Neptune beach next week as they will be crafting legislation for food trucks.
Basically modeled after Jax Beaches.

[RyeRyeRocco]

Also, time to head to Neptune beach next week as they will be crafting legislation for food trucks.
Basically modeled after Jax Beaches.

if it's based on Jax Bch, there will be nowhere for trucks to set up as every spot would be within a certain distance of a residence. Also, site specific permits will deter trucks from even applying.

It's what the city does to say they want trucks but they really don't want trucks.

[urbanlibertarian]

Who, in local government, is standing up for consumer choice?

(sound of crickets chirping)

[ChriswUfGator]

Part of this problem was the food trucks pulling a "Jews for Hitler!" move and supporting the legislation that will ultimately drive most of them out of business. Whether it was misrepresented to them, or council backstabbed them, or whatever the heck else may have happened, who knows, but I don't think it's going to take long for them to regret it. What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about, except it wound up passing because it appeared at least superficially that the trucks supported it. Bizarre.

[fieldafm]

RyeRyeRocco has some good points and even for being a hippie that has had a bit too much coffee and KLOB in his life-he's a smart dude.

"What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about" is incorrect. Before, the original legislation banned food trucks from really just about anywhere (except floating on a barge in the river, which btw has happened before)... not counting the 50 foot rule, the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referanced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

Is it perfect? No. Are their laws of unintended consequences some of the stakeholders didn't think through? Yes, absolutely.  But painting this as some blasphemous loss for food trucks is simply an exageration.

[Noone]

Part of this problem was the food trucks pulling a "Jews for Hitler!" move and supporting the legislation that will ultimately drive most of them out of business. Whether it was misrepresented to them, or council backstabbed them, or whatever the heck else may have happened, who knows, but I don't think it's going to take long for them to regret it. What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about, except it wound up passing because it appeared at least superficially that the trucks supported it. Bizarre.

+1

[strider]

RyeRyeRocco has some good points and even for being a hippie that has had a bit too much coffee and KLOB in his life-he's a smart dude.

"What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about" is incorrect. Before, the original legislation banned food trucks from really just about anywhere (except floating on a barge in the river, which btw has happened before)... not counting the 50 foot rule, the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referanced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

Is it perfect? No. Are their laws of unintended consequences some of the stakeholders didn't think through? Yes, absolutely.  But painting this as some blasphemous loss for food trucks is simply an exageration.

You are making the same mistake many here are – misreading the ordinance the way city council (I believe) intended to happen:

Read this again:

Vending areas. Mobile Food Dispensing vendors may vend food or nonalcoholic beverages from a mobile food dispensing vehicle in all zoning districts except the Commercial Neighborhood (CN) zoning district subject to the issuance of a zoning exception pursuant to the Zoning Code.

It has been clarified. The only place food trucks can operate without a zoning exception are the Commercial Neighborhood zoning districts.

Do you see those tiny purplish spots on the map? Those are the only places where food trucks are allowed to operate but they still have to follow the codes that define, for instance, how far away from a brick and mortar restaurant they have to locate.

You read the above and thought it meant this:

the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referenced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

It really means this: Mobile Food Dispensing vendors may vend food or nonalcoholic beverages from a mobile food dispensing vehicle in all zoning districts ....subject to the issuance of a zoning exception pursuant to the Zoning Code....except the Commercial Neighborhood (CN) zoning district

Those purple dots are the ONLY place they can be without a zoning exception.

It was indeed a  "blasphemous loss for food trucks".

[ChriswUfGator]

RyeRyeRocco has some good points and even for being a hippie that has had a bit too much coffee and KLOB in his life-he's a smart dude.

"What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about" is incorrect. Before, the original legislation banned food trucks from really just about anywhere (except floating on a barge in the river, which btw has happened before)... not counting the 50 foot rule, the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referanced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

Is it perfect? No. Are their laws of unintended consequences some of the stakeholders didn't think through? Yes, absolutely.  But painting this as some blasphemous loss for food trucks is simply an exageration.

Respectfully disagree, and I do this for a living...

[tufsu1]

Part of this problem was the food trucks pulling a "Jews for Hitler!" move and supporting the legislation that will ultimately drive most of them out of business.

really bad analogy dude

[fieldafm]

I refrained from commenting this long because it's silly arguing with people that, given the opportunity, did not get involved... yet tell you exactly how wrong you are.

Planning, GC, EOC, Neigborhoods, Code Compliance, DIA and City Council intrepret it the way I wrote. That's also backed up with exhaustive public records on the matter as every task force meeting was recorded and catalogued... along with every CC committee meeting when the bill was introduced, debated and ultimately passed by the full City Council.

BTW, a former two-time City Council president was retained to lobby in favor of the food trucks and help craft the bill.

[fieldafm]

Part of this problem was the food trucks pulling a "Jews for Hitler!" move and supporting the legislation that will ultimately drive most of them out of business.

really bad analogy dude

Yes, really bad.

[Tacachale]

Wow, this is just getting started and we've already gotten to Hitler.

[Noone]

RyeRyeRocco has some good points and even for being a hippie that has had a bit too much coffee and KLOB in his life-he's a smart dude.

"What ultimately got enacted was not far off from the legislation all the original uproar was about" is incorrect. Before, the original legislation banned food trucks from really just about anywhere (except floating on a barge in the river, which btw has happened before)... not counting the 50 foot rule, the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referanced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

Is it perfect? No. Are their laws of unintended consequences some of the stakeholders didn't think through? Yes, absolutely.  But painting this as some blasphemous loss for food trucks is simply an exageration.

You are making the same mistake many here are – misreading the ordinance the way city council (I believe) intended to happen:

Read this again:

Vending areas. Mobile Food Dispensing vendors may vend food or nonalcoholic beverages from a mobile food dispensing vehicle in all zoning districts except the Commercial Neighborhood (CN) zoning district subject to the issuance of a zoning exception pursuant to the Zoning Code.

It has been clarified. The only place food trucks can operate without a zoning exception are the Commercial Neighborhood zoning districts.

Do you see those tiny purplish spots on the map? Those are the only places where food trucks are allowed to operate but they still have to follow the codes that define, for instance, how far away from a brick and mortar restaurant they have to locate.

You read the above and thought it meant this:

the CN zoning areas that food trucks would need a zoning exception for are pretty few and far between.. as referenced in the map in the editorial posted by Arash.

It really means this: Mobile Food Dispensing vendors may vend food or nonalcoholic beverages from a mobile food dispensing vehicle in all zoning districts ....subject to the issuance of a zoning exception pursuant to the Zoning Code....except the Commercial Neighborhood (CN) zoning district

Those purple dots are the ONLY place they can be without a zoning exception.

It was indeed a  "blasphemous loss for food trucks".

+1
Food Trucks, kayaks, the Waterways is just getting absolutely crushed. Just ask the Baltimore guys 2014-412.
DIA- Downtown Includes Alcohol
I'm All In