Council approves downtown assemblage plan allowing two flexible vendor pads; staff and council debate food-truck rules

The Bonita Springs City Council unanimously approved an assemblage concept plan for a downtown Innovation District site that includes two flexible vendor pads, a container-bar concept and caretaker residences. Council and staff discussion focused on how the city's mobile-vendor rules apply to the Innovation District and whether the council could impose additional site-specific requirements.

Community Development staff told the council the Innovation District allows a different treatment than the rest of downtown. "What they are allowed to do is they're allowed to have up to 2 individual mobile food vendors on-site if it's part of their proposed plan," said Mike Fegan, Community Development, describing the code's Innovation District provisions. The applicant's representatives said the pads are intended…