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Harlingen approves food-truck park at former funeral-home site with conditions limiting trucks and hours
Summary
After neighborhood concerns about parking and traffic, the City Commission approved a special-use permit allowing a food-truck park at 2906 S. Expressway 83 with a cap of six trucks and restricted hours.
The Harlingen City Commission approved a special-use permit on second and final reading for a food-truck park at 2906 South Expressway 83 on Sept. 9, imposing limits on the number of trucks and operating hours after commissioners and neighbors raised concerns about traffic and parking.
The applicant, James Judkins, told the commission he purchased the former funeral home and operates several businesses at the site. Judkins said he employs 43 people, plans to provide bench and picnic seating, and does not intend to allow music or alcohol at the park. “We do not intend any music. We don't intend any alcohol,” Judkins said about his operating plans.
Planning staff clarified the city’s parking calculation: because the proposed picnic seating set an occupancy load of 31 people, the ordinance’s parking formula required nine parking spaces tied to the dining capacity. Planning staff said the truck spaces along the eastern and southern edges of the lot could allow the maximum number of trucks permitted under the city ordinance.
Several commissioners reported receiving neighborhood calls about narrow access, speeding on nearby Louisiana Street and the proximity of residences. A commissioner who inspected the site said that at 3 p.m. roughly 45 cars occupying the lot suggested many occupants were employees of the on-site businesses, and that the addition of a park with a large number of trucks could increase on-street parking and block mailboxes.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the special-use permit with conditions limiting the park to a maximum of six food trucks and restricting operating hours (weekday daytime operations with the ability to remain open into evening hours only up to 8 p.m.). The motion asked that the permit reflect the applicant’s intention to operate primarily during business hours and to avoid weekend evening uses. The motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
Judkins said his likely operating pattern would be about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and he volunteered to close or modify access points if the police department identified traffic problems. He also said he would not finalize vendor contracts until he had a permit.
The commission discussed whether to pursue a larger code update to make food-truck operations more flexible citywide; several members expressed interest in reviewing the city’s ordinance to help truck operators find legal locations without harming residential streets.
The commission’s action approves the special-use permit with the stated conditions; staff will reflect the conditions in the final permit documentation.
