Zoning Administrator approves Juanita’s Food Truck permit for downtown Santa Rosa location

The Santa Rosa City Zoning Administrator on Jan. 1, 2025 approved a minor conditional use permit (CUP24-024) to allow Juanita’s Food Truck to operate at 456 College Avenue, with conditions addressing sanitation, utilities and noise.

Planner Briscoe, presenting the application, said staff found the project consistent with the General Plan and the site’s neighborhood mixed-use zoning and that the Downtown Station Area Plan eliminates a parking requirement for this temporary use. "Staff analysis has concluded that all findings could be met and the applicant has reviewed and accepted all conditions of approval," Briscoe said during the hearing.

The permit allows the truck to operate 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Briscoe told the zoning administrator that the truck would rely on adjacent businesses for water and restroom access; the presentation noted employees at the gas station across College Avenue and the nearby Cafe Mimosa as potential facilities for handwashing and water support. Briscoe also said the applicant intends to use a generator and that a condition requires either a noise buffer around the generator or purchase of a quieter unit.

Staff read several public comments into the record, some expressing enthusiasm for more late-night food options and others raising concerns about loitering, traffic and parking impacts. Those comments were memorialized in the administrative record and addressed in the conditions of approval, Briscoe said.

The zoning administrator approved CUP24-024 with the conditions recommended by staff. The decision is final unless an appeal is filed with the City Clerk’s office within 10 calendar days of the decision pursuant to Santa Rosa Municipal Code and zoning code procedures; the zoning administrator read the appeal deadline into the record.