Gilroy council narrows mobile food‑vendor pilot: trucks must be hidden from property line along Monterey Road

City staff told the Gilroy City Council on Aug. 18 they have paused enforcement of a mobile food‑vendor pilot along Monterey Road while seeking council clarification on what “fronting” means for private property. Staff recommended a visibility standard and the council directed staff to enforce it.

Bryce (staff) told the council the term “fronting” had created confusion for vendors, property owners and code enforcement, and that staff had initially applied a 41‑foot building setback as an interim measure. “Staff is seeking confirmation regarding the understanding of what council is intending for mobile food vendors on private property,” Bryce said. He recommended clarifying that “no portion of a mobile food vendor will be allowed to be visible on a parcel from the line of sight at each point where the property line from the same parcel abuts Monterey Road.”

Council members discussed examples: a food truck parked behind a building so it is not visible from the parcel’s Monterey Road property line would be allowed; a truck parked where it can be seen from the property line would not. Councilmember Bracco expressed a preference for private property rights but agreed the downtown pilot intended to “curate” a particular downtown experience. Councilmember Frigozzi asked staff how many trucks had applied; staff said five trucks were fully approved for downtown (two for special events) and four more were pending because they were on private parcels in or just outside the defined zone.

Councilmember Hilton asked staff to confirm the geographic limits. Council direction clarified Monterey Road from Leasley to Lucezza (staff spelling in packet) and the side‑street span from Eagleberry to Railroad. Staff said enforcement of the public‑health and seller permits had continued during the pause and that full enforcement would resume with the clarified standard.

Why it matters: the clarification preserves the council’s stated intent to limit visible mobile vending along Monterey Road while allowing vendors on private property where they are not visible from the parcel’s Monterey Road frontage. It affects downtown businesses, property owners and mobile vendors who had applied under the pilot program.

Next steps: staff will update guidance, resume enforcement of the full set of permit requirements and apply the visibility standard along the prescribed street spans. Staff said they will reinitiate enforcement and return as needed with additional clarifications.

Ending: Council did not take a formal ordinance vote; members provided direction to staff to implement the clarified visibility rule and to resume enforcement.