Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council opens discussion on food-truck rules; staff asked to pursue options with Planning Commission
Summary
Brighton council discussed its temporary land-use rules for food trucks and general temporary accessory uses, identified current limits (four events per parcel per year, five days per event) and directed staff to pursue potential changes through the Planning Commission after soliciting input from businesses.
City staff briefed the council on Feb. 11 about how temporary land-use rules in the zoning ordinance regulate food trucks and other temporary accessory activities. The current zoning language allows each parcel to host up to four temporary events per year, with each permitted event lasting up to five days (for a possible 20 days total per parcel per year) and requires a permit for each occurrence.
Why it matters: Council members said this topic is relevant to new commercial uses (notably a recently opened pickleball facility) and to businesses that would like to host food trucks during tournaments and special events. Council asked staff to explore options for changing the ordinance and to gather input from affected businesses.
Key facts from staff and council discussion
- Existing limits: The zoning code’s temporary-accessory section currently allows up to four events per parcel per year and up to five days per event, with at least 15 days required between consecutive permitted events. The temporary event permit fee is $50; a separate 90-day seasonal permit (used for things such as seasonal sales) carries a $250 fee (presentation at 4016.25–4056.585 and 4397.0547–4422.55).
- Applications in practice: Staff said Full Circle Brewery (referred to in the meeting as Full Circle Brews) has used the process; the new pickleball facility has also used permits for some events and may pursue additional event permits tied to tournaments (4135.8003–4164.1; 4350.165–4369.2153).
- Points raised by council: Some council members favored expanding allowances for outlying sites such as the pickleball facility while preserving protections for walkable downtown business districts. Council members also recommended consulting affected businesses (Full Circle Brewery and the pickleball operator) about how many event days they would use before making a rule change (5199.355–5246.5103; 5272.95–5283.0454).
Outcome and next steps
Council directed staff to bring the matter to the Planning Commission for further study and to solicit feedback from businesses likely to use the permits. Staff noted the zoning ordinance can be amended to change the number of permitted events per parcel, the length of events, district-specific allowances, or to create a separate food-truck ordinance.
