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Calistoga refines food‑truck policy after safety and renewal concerns; staff to remove Wappo Street
Summary
Council directed staff to remove Wappo Street from permitted food‑truck locations, streamline renewal for recently permitted vendors and return with a refined policy; members cited safety, traffic and equity considerations.
After several months of limited operations, Calistoga’s experiment with mobile food vendors drew safety and process concerns from residents and council on Dec. 19.
Public commenters and councilmembers flagged Wappo Street as narrow and hazardous when trucks are present, urged better spacing and curb/gutter protection for pedestrian access, and called for a clearer renewal process so current vendors aren’t disadvantaged by a calendar‑year deadline. Bill Squire and others described sight‑line and driveway intrusion issues at locations currently on the approved map.
Council directed staff to remove Wappo from the list of approved locations, to streamline renewals so vendors permitted in the recent rollout need not resubmit the full application immediately, and to return with a revised policy after a year to consider whether to expand the number of permits. Council discussed—but did not adopt—a permanent right‑of‑first‑refusal; staff was asked to consider an administrative renewal pathway for compliant vendors and to evaluate safety at each permitted site.
The council emphasized the program’s value for small businesses and residents who use the service while asking staff to refine zoning, safety mitigation and permit renewal mechanics before broader expansion.
