Marion County panel tables proposed roadside-vendor rules after hours of public comment from food-truck operators

The Marion County Land Development Regulation Commission on Tuesday voted to take proposed changes to the county's temporary roadside-vendor rules back to a workshop after more than an hour of public comment from food-truck operators and property owners.

The proposed amendments would add clarity to where and how temporary vendors may operate, ban permanent utility connections on vacant land, require temporary structures to be removed at the end of each day, and require site-plan review if more than two temporary vendors operate at a single parcel.

Staff planner Chris Rising told the commission the updates aim to implement a recent state statutory requirement for solar facilities elsewhere in the code and to provide more detail for temporary roadside vendors. "Temporary roadside vendors are intended to function temporarily and independently. Services such as electric, water, and sewer shall not be permitted on vacant land," Rising said while explaining the draft language.