Page County planning commission debates where food trucks, catering and event vendors should be allowed

Page County Planning Commission members on May 20 debated a draft zoning amendment that would redefine restaurants, add a category for mobile food vending operations (food trucks) and decide where catering facilities and food trucks may operate in the county.

Planning staff opened the discussion by reading background from the staff memo: “Mobile food vending operations, commonly referred to as food trucks, is currently in our current ordinance, included in the definition of restaurant,” and said the Board of Supervisors had asked the commission to consider allowing food trucks outside the county's existing C-1 commercial district. The Berkeley Group's model ordinance served as the starting point for the draft, but staff recommended several changes to reflect local conditions.

Why it matters: the rules would determine whether food trucks and home-based catering businesses can operate by right in agricultural (A-1) and Woodland Conservation (WC) zones, whether event venues may host vendors without separate enforcement actions, and what operational limits (parking, setbacks, signage, noise and permit terms) the county can use to reduce traffic and safety risks on major roadways.

Most of the discussion focused on two linked issues: whether catering facilities (kitchens used to prepare food off-site) should be treated separately from mobile vending, and where food trucks may set up. Commissioners and staff floated several approaches rather than voting on a final ordinance:

- Zoning districts: staff proposed allowing catering facilities and mobile food vending by right in Woodland Conservation and A-1 agricultural zones (which would also effectively allow them in non-government-owned Park and Recreation parcels). That recommendation departs from the Berkeley Group's model, which limited mobile operations to commercial districts and some planned-unit developments. Several commissioners said the county's much smaller commercial footprint makes that model infeasible and urged careful limits in WC and A-1 so roads and scenic areas are not littered with vendors.

- Accessory use vs. primary use: Commissioners discussed moving catering facilities from a primary permitted use into the permitted accessory-use category (for example, accessory to a dwelling, bed-and-breakfast or short-term rental). Staff said doing so would keep smaller, home-based operations subject to home-occupation limits while still allowing food-prep for food-truck operators who rely on an offsite kitchen. "If we're killing our current [home-occupation approach], you're imagining catering facility as in somebody's house? Or in somebody's— It can be. And frequently will be," staff said during the discussion.

- Residential restrictions: the commission generally agreed mobile food vending should not be allowed by right in residential subdivisions. Commissioners repeatedly recommended excluding residential zoning from by-right food-truck operation, while permitting short-term exceptions for events (weddings, festivals) with written site permission and applicable permits.

- Public-safety and traffic concerns: Commissioners urged strict attention to operations on major road corridors (U.S. 340 and U.S. 211 were mentioned). Topics covered included whether a vendor seated near a high-speed entrance could create hazardous slowdowns, how VDOT right-of-way rules apply, and whether the zoning administrator should consult VDOT before approving specific locations. One commissioner asked staff to request VDOT review of proposed rules affecting rights-of-way.

- Supplemental regulations under consideration: staff presented detailed draft controls, many drawn from the Berkeley Group, including a 30-minute exception for vehicles that stop briefly while performing door-to-door or route-based services; site-plan or sketch submittal; limits on length of stay at a single property; parking minimums; signage limits; and health and safety documentation.

- Time and place: draft definition text would exclude vendors that stop for 30 minutes or less at a single place as part of a route. Staff proposed that a permit for a given location be valid for one year and that any change of location require a new application and approval by the zoning administrator. Commissioners suggested clarifying whether the rule applies to where trucks operate (set up to serve) and not to where vehicles are stored overnight.

- Parking and staffing: the draft used a baseline of parking tied to employees and vehicle storage (originally 1 space per 3 employees in some Berkeley language). Commissioners pressed staff to require parking sufficient for the maximum working shift (for example, one space per person on the maximum shift) and to exempt residents of the subject dwelling from that count when a catering use is accessory to a home.

- Signs: staff proposed allowing up to two temporary ground signs not to exceed 4 square feet each (consistent with the county's sign ordinance) plus permanent signage affixed to the vehicle. Commissioners declined a larger temporary-sign allowance in order to remain consistent with the existing sign rules.

- Noise and entertainment: staff suggested removing a Berkeley Group provision that banned audible music outside a vehicle as hard to enforce; commissioners agreed to prohibit amplified music in practical terms and rely on the county's noise and festival rules for major events.

- Setbacks and proximity limits: the draft included suggested distances meant to reduce conflicts: a 50-foot buffer from an existing restaurant's public entrance and a 100-foot buffer from dwellings unless the property owner provided written permission. Commissioners added that measuring should be between structures (entrance-to-vehicle) and asked staff to clarify whether the adjacent-property owner or on-site owner should grant permission.

- Duration on site: staff proposed moving away from language requiring full removal each day (Berkeley Group language) toward a three-day operating limit for the same property when vendors are serving a multi-day event, but several commissioners recommended the rule specify "no more than three consecutive days at the same location" to simplify enforcement.

- Food safety, permits and fees: the draft requires a valid health-department/VDACS permit and a county zoning clearance for each location (a zoning clearance per site, valid one year). Staff and commissioners debated whether the county's commissioner of revenue would require a local business license for out-of-county vendors; staff said the commissioner's office currently accepts proof of a license from another Virginia locality and collects meal taxes, though that practice could be revisited. Commissioners discussed a zoning clearance fee (examples mentioned: $25 and $150) and whether an out-of-county operator should pay a higher application fee.

- Event venues and festivals: commissioners agreed that large, organized events (raceway, speedway, fairs) should be handled under the county's festival/temporary-event permitting process (chapter 55 of the county code was cited). Under that process the health department and festival permit would coordinate multiple vendors without requiring a separate zoning clearance for each food truck.

No formal ordinance was adopted at the meeting. The planning commission removed the zoning-ordinance amendments from that night's agenda at the start of the meeting and approved that procedural motion by voice vote. The commission instead directed staff to refine the draft supplemental regulations, clarify cross-references to the county sign and festival rules, consult VDOT about operations affecting state rights-of-way, and return the revised language for further review. Commissioners set the zoning-subcommittee meeting schedule and indicated they will continue the item at the June 3 meeting, with the comprehensive-plan subcommittee meeting June 5.

Commissioners said their next steps will include clarifying which uses are accessory versus primary; tightening parking, setback and duration language to make enforcement practical; and ensuring the health department, the commissioner of revenue and VDOT roles are clear before a public hearing.

Ending note: staff emphasized the draft draws heavily from the Berkeley Group model but said the county's limited commercial zoning and major road corridors require locally tailored rules. Commissioners planned to review a revised draft that incorporates the meeting's direction before scheduling a public hearing.