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Traffic commission approves pilot for food trucks, limits Vogue Park to carts
Summary
The Chelsea Traffic and Parking Commission approved a pilot mobile food operations program to allow food trucks and food carts at selected downtown and park locations from April through October, but limited Vogue Park to push carts in the parking lot for safety reasons and later added Arlington Street to approved locations.
Chelsea’s Traffic and Parking Commission on Tuesday approved a pilot program to allow mobile food operations at several downtown and park locations this summer, but restricted vending at Vogue Park to push carts in a parking lot until safety concerns are addressed.
City Solicitor Sheryl Watson Fisher, representing the city’s push for the pilot, told the commission the city previously adopted an ordinance to allow food trucks and later amended it, and that the pilot is intended to test demand and operational logistics. “We were thinking about a pilot program from April to October, which is our normal special event time period,” Fisher said.
The vote approves food truck and cart operations on selected sections of Broadway, Grove and Highland and allows trucks or carts at designated park lots on scheduled days. Commissioners limited Vogue Park to push carts in the park parking lot rather than trucks positioned across the street, citing pedestrian and traffic safety. After the initial motion passed, a commissioner moved — and the panel approved — adding Arlington Street to the list of approved locations.
Fisher described the proposed rules as a temporary licensing model similar to one-day special-event permits. She said vendors would still require food permits and inspections: “It’s more like a special event license and, but they will have to get a food permit. So all food trucks are inspected and all food carts will be inspected because food has to be a certain temperature.”
On safety, commissioners discussed vehicle access and pedestrian crossings near parks. One commissioner asked for signage near crossing points at Vogue Park; the commission asked the Department of Public Works to consider low-cost crossing warnings or other measures to reduce risk where children cross to reach vendors.
The commission’s action was procedural approval of the pilot locations and operational limits; final vendor licensing will proceed through the city’s licensing staff and the existing food-permit inspections. The pilot is intended to test demand, reduce barriers to mobile food enterprises, and preserve public-safety oversight while vendors operate on city property.
