Council OKs special-use permit for single food truck at 1710 Country Club Road with conditions

Harrisonburg City Council on Sept. 8 unanimously approved a special-use permit to allow a single mobile food truck to operate at 1710 Country Club Road, a property zoned M-1 (General Industrial).

The council’s approval follows a staff recommendation and a unanimous Planning Commission endorsement. The council attached four conditions: permit only one mobile food truck; prohibit customer vehicle parking between the building and the public street except for the food truck vehicle itself; require reestablishment of entrance curbing within 60 days (with a one-time 60-day extension available from the zoning administrator); and require compliance with floodplain permitting and movable‑equipment conditions if seating or tables are placed in floodplain/floodway areas.

Adam Fletcher, the city’s director of community development, told the council the request is for a mobile food-truck operation rather than a brick-and-mortar restaurant and that the request fits the comprehensive plan’s land‑use guidance for that corridor. Fletcher noted the parcel sits wholly within mapped FEMA floodplain/floodway and described coordination with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation that allows “floatable” seating and equipment in the floodplain only if the operator keeps the unit road‑ready and obtains a floodplain development permit. He also reported staff identified unpermitted work in the floodway at the rear of the building and is working with the property owner to bring that into compliance; that issue was treated separately from the special‑use petition.

Fletcher walked council through site-plan history and safety concerns. Staff observed the gravel lot and missing curbing obscure the property’s driveway and noted the original 1989 site plan and curblines that once directed traffic have been buried or lost over time. The recommended conditions are intended to preserve sight lines and reduce the risk of vehicles backing into Country Club Road, which Fletcher described as a relatively high-speed corridor.

Applicant Ignacio Rote described plans to operate a Cuban/Caribbean‑style food truck and said he has permission from an adjacent property owner to use an additional gravel lot for customer parking if needed. During public comment, several residents and neighborhood advocates spoke in support, praising the city’s willingness to work with small businesses.

Vice Mayor Fleming moved approval; council voted aye by roll call (Councilmember Robinson, Councilmember Al Sadden, Councilmember Dent and Vice Mayor Fleming). The motion passed unanimously.

The permit requires the operator to submit a plan showing how the food truck and movable seating will be stored or moved in the event of a flood warning, and staff said the plan allows DCR to avoid a costly flood study only if the unit and seating remain moveable and are not anchored or placed on jacks.

The council’s action authorizes the special use under Section 10397, subsection 1 (as cited by staff) and places enforceable site‑work and curbing deadlines on the owner. If the required curbing is not completed within the initial 60 days, staff may grant a single 60‑day extension; failure to meet the extended deadline could trigger permit review or revocation procedures.

Council members said they appreciated staff’s collaborative approach with the owner and the planning commission’s review. The applicant may begin operation once permit conditions and required permits (including any floodplain development permit) are satisfied.