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Gurnee considers 500-foot buffer, licensing and designated zones for food trucks after resident, restaurateur complaints
Summary
Village staff presented options May 19 to regulate food trucks, including a proposed 500-foot buffer from brick-and-mortar restaurants, an annual license (proposed $1,500), limits on hours and a permitting process for invited trucks and special events; board asked staff for follow-up research and ordinance language.
GURNEE, Ill.
After receiving complaints from residents and restaurant owners about recurring food trucks, Gurnee village staff on May 19 proposed new regulations that would add licensing, location limits and other standards for mobile food vendors.
Staff described three broad approaches: an outright ban outside special events, a package of baseline regulations (licensing, hours, noise and health inspections), or a package that adds explicit protections for existing brick-and-mortar restaurants. The presentation asked trustees for direction on two specific measures: a 500-foot buffer around existing restaurants and an annual license fee proposed at $1,500.
What staff said
Staff said the village currently has a single regulation that prohibits food trucks from parking in residentially zoned areas (adopted in Feb. 2021). Beyond that, staff said there are no village-specific rules requiring food-truck licensing, locations, hours, or caps on generator noise. Lake County Health Department continues to handle health inspections.
For enforcement and fairness the staff recommendation included:
- A possible 500-foot buffer measured from existing restaurants to protect brick-and-mortar businesses. Staff displayed a map showing large swaths of Grand Avenue and other commercial corridors that would be affected. - A proposed annual license fee of $1,500, derived by staff from a per-square-foot tax-equivalency comparison to local restaurants; staff said surveyed communities typically charge only a few hundred dollars. - Exemptions and lighter treatment for invited trucks (for example, employee lunches or special events) and for community-sponsored gatherings; staff suggested permitting invited trucks at no fee for limited occasions.
Trustee concerns and legal notes
Trustees and the village attorney discussed enforceability, burden on staff and impacts on small entrepreneurs. Questions included whether the village could enforce buffer zones on private property (landlord permission), whether a high annual fee would discourage trucks from participating in community events, and how the village would track and collect food-and-beverage taxes from mobile vendors.
The village attorney said buffer zones are an objective standard the village already uses for other placement rules and that a license could be conditioned on locations approved in the license; violations could lead to suspension or revocation of the license.
Board direction and next steps
Trustees generally supported adopting a permitting and registration process so the village can track mobile vendors and ensure tax and health rules are followed. Several trustees expressed support for a buffer to protect existing restaurants, but others said the proposed $1,500 annual fee might be high for small operators and suggested a lower fee or a tiered approach (lower fee for occasional/event permits).
Staff will research comparable ordinances and fees in other municipalities, evaluate potential designated food-truck locations on private property with willing landlords, refine buffer options, and return to the board with draft ordinance language in a near-term meeting.
