Riverside trustees debate rules for food trucks; direct staff to draft separate special-event and business permits

Riverside, Ill. — The Village of Riverside Board of Trustees on April 3 directed staff to draft separate rules for food trucks that distinguish occasional, special‑event appearances from food‑truck businesses operating regularly on private commercial lots.

Assistant Village Manager Ashley Monroe told trustees staff had consulted the Riverside Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Commission and several downtown restaurant owners and found mixed opinions about food trucks. Monroe said staff’s starting proposal was a $30 per‑event fee for food trucks at permitted special events, with the option to bundle multiple appearances under a single application (she suggested up to 12 appearances as a discussion point). "Ice cream trucks are currently in our ordinances as prohibited vehicles. So, we can't have a roaming ice cream vendor in a vehicle currently," Monroe said.

The trustees’ discussion focused on three issues: whether to allow food trucks only as part of special events or also as ongoing commercial operations on private property; whether to limit special‑event frequency; and whether to require distance buffers from brick‑and‑mortar restaurants for permanent food‑truck businesses. Several trustees favored keeping special‑event rules flexible and relatively permissive, while carving out a separate regulatory framework for food‑truck businesses that operate long‑term on private commercial lots.

Trustees discussed sample technical options staff presented: defining a visit as up to three consecutive days, bundling multiple visits under one application, and measuring buffer zones of 100, 200 or 300 feet from property lines or building entrances. Trustees and staff noted the practical limits imposed by Riverside’s Central Business District — limited private parking and many adjacent restaurants — and asked staff to map which private lots could realistically host a permanent food truck.

Several trustees emphasized protecting existing downtown investment. One trustee raised concerns that an unrestricted permanent truck presence could discourage restaurants or landlords from investing in brick‑and‑mortar spaces; another said a larger buffer for permanent commercial trucks would be appropriate while a smaller or no buffer could apply to short‑term special events. Trustees also discussed R Mart’s regularly operating food truck and agreed that long‑term arrangements such as that should be covered by a distinct business permit rather than the special‑event process.

The board gave staff direction to return with ordinance language and a map of potential private‑property locations for permanent food‑truck operations. No formal vote was taken; discussion produced general consensus on separating "special event" appearances from permanent food‑truck business licensing and on returning to the board with proposed code language and mapped locations.

The trustees did not adopt final distances, durations or a firm cap on bundled events; items flagged for follow‑up include exact day limits for special events, whether bundled applications should cover up to 12 appearances (staff used 12 as an example), and whether a larger buffer should apply to permanent commercial food‑truck permits in some commercial zones.

Ending: Staff said it will prepare draft ordinance language and a map showing private lots that could accommodate permanent food‑truck operations and return to the board with options.