Commission approves six-month special-use permit for South Bridal food-truck site, limits operations to designated stalls

The Tyler Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 28, 2025 approved a six-month special-use permit allowing mobile food units to sell from nine designated parking locations at 3521 South Bridal, subject to the submitted site plan and compliance with city codes.

City planning staff described the request as a special-use permit for a major food-truck park on property zoned C-1, light commercial, and said the Unified Development Code allows mobile food units in C-1 only at an approved food-truck park. "The unified development code requires 2 parking spaces per mobile food unit, along with 1 per 100 square feet of designated seating area," staff said, and noted the site currently has 36 parking spaces.

Why it matters: the parcel functions as a commissary for several food-truck operators and the commissary—s certificate of occupancy has been suspended, a status several truck operators said prevents them from legally using the site to service trucks. The property has also generated code complaints and police service calls, which planning staff included in their technical review to help the commission evaluate whether to reauthorize the use.

The applicant and the property owner said they were confused about the zoning requirements and the timing of enforcement. "We applied right away. We put $700 application fee," property owner Kate Parker told the commission, and she said she did not receive certified notice that the prior permit had expired. Operator Todrick Kane told the commission his intent was to operate primarily as a commissary with at most one truck selling on site at a time. "The most trucks we ever had running at one time was three trucks," Kane said, and added that most trailers on the property use it only for prep and storage.

City staff responded that the 2022 special-use permit that previously authorized the site had expired and that C-1 zoning does not allow mobile food units without an approved SUP. "The ability to have even one food truck on the property also requires a special use permit," Kyle, a city staff member, explained. Staff also said the approved site plan shows specific locations where trucks may operate and that moving trucks closer to Broadway without updating the plan would violate the approved layout.

Commission discussion focused on three issues: (1) whether the current business model is primarily a commissary (storage/prep) or an active food-truck park with multiple trucks selling to the public; (2) whether the previously approved layout matched how trucks were actually positioned and operated on the property; and (3) documented complaints and calls for police service.

Commissioner Christina moved to approve a six-month special-use permit limited to the nine locations shown on the submitted A1 site plan and to require compliance with all applicable codes; the motion was seconded and carried. The commission explicitly tied the approval to the submitted site plan and the six-month duration so staff and the applicant could confirm compliance with the Unified Development Code, the international building and fire codes, and applicable public-health requirements.

The commission and staff clarified related permitting steps that remain separate from the SUP: a transient vendor permit (required for individual mobile food units) and the commissary—s certificate of occupancy. Staff said the transient vendor permit cannot be issued unless the SUP and zoning requirements are satisfied. The commission also noted that if the applicant proposes to sell from locations other than those on the approved plan, the site plan must be revised and the item returned to the commission for review.

What happens next: the SUP is approved for six months at the nine locations shown on the site plan. The applicants were told to work with planning staff on any required site-plan revisions, ensure the commissary and transient-vendor paperwork are in order, and correct code compliance issues identified by enforcement. The commission recorded the approval on the record; vote tallies were not specified in the hearing record.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are drawn from the meeting record and include staff members who presented technical findings, the property owner and the operator who addressed the commission, and the commissioner who moved the motion.

Ending: The short-term approval gives the applicant time to demonstrate compliance and for staff to verify that operations match the approved site plan. If the applicant seeks a longer-term permit or to change operating locations, the commission will require a revised site plan and a subsequent hearing.