Riverside board narrows food-truck options: no on-street Harlem locations; staff to draft licensing rules

RIVERSIDE, Ill. — The Village of Riverside Board of Trustees on May 15 signaled it will not permit on-street food trucks along Harlem Avenue and said food trucks will be allowed downtown only for special events unless they locate on private property under a formal license.

Assistant Manager Monroe presented proposed regulations that split food-truck activity into two regimes: (1) temporary special-event use (a $30 fee proposed within the special-events process) and (2) a business-license model for trucks that operate regularly on private lots. The staff proposal recommended minimum separation distances (100 feet from existing restaurants when parked in private lots; 75 feet from nearby residences) and limited street locations if the board allowed on-street parking.

After hearing from restaurant owners and other residents who said on-street trucks reduce customer parking and compete directly with brick-and-mortar businesses, trustees expressed concerns about fairness and traffic impacts. Trustee comments reflected divergent views on whether private-property operations should be limited in frequency. Trustee Gallagos said taking parking “doesn’t seem fair or equitable” for existing downtown businesses; Trustee Evans said public-safety and parking impacts must be addressed before approving street parking.

The board’s direction: do not permit on-street food trucks on Harlem Avenue; allow food trucks in the downtown commercial district only as part of special events; permit licensed, regularly operating food trucks on private parking lots subject to the separation distances staff proposed and subject to a licensing regime that allows enforcement (inspections, suspension or revocation for health or code violations). Staff will return with an ordinance and further clarifications.

Assistant Manager Monroe described enforcement tools: health inspections, temporary right-of-way permits for driveway/visibility issues, license suspension or revocation procedures and ordinary parking enforcement. Monroe said the proposed licensing approach would require trucks that operate regularly to meet insurance, health and safety standards similar to brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Business owners and speakers at the meeting urged the board to protect long-standing local establishments. Janabelle Chap, a Riverside resident and business owner who presented a petition on behalf of multiple businesses, asked Council to consider proximity rules to “prevent similar business over-saturation” and protect small-business investments; Attorney Pickrell replied that zoning can regulate uses by district but not competition among businesses within a district under the Illinois Municipal Code.

Trustees also discussed practical parking matters: most on-street parking in downtown is time-limited and the village’s proposed street allowances would be first-come, first-serve; staff said accessible parking spaces and other reserved spaces would not be available for food-truck use. Trustee Evans and others suggested staff consider limits on the number of days a single private-lot truck may operate; other trustees favored allowing private-property owners latitude to host trucks on their own lots provided separation distances are observed.

Monroe said two operators had expressed interest in a regular license; staff will work with property owners and applicants to identify compliant private-lot locations. Any license would include public-health and safety requirements; noncompliant operators could be suspended or have their license revoked.

Staff will draft ordinance language reflecting the board’s direction, including: no on-street trucks on Harlem, downtown trucks only for special events (unless sited on compliant private lots), separation distances (100 feet from restaurant entrances on private lots; 75 feet from residences), and the licensing/enforcement framework. The board asked staff to return with a refined proposal at a future meeting.