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Council narrows food-truck locations, moves disputed vendor to Logby Park and directs lottery for future locations
Summary
After extensive public comment, the council directed staff to remove Bridal/Brandon Street as a permit location, authorize Logby Park plus two identified fairgrounds sites and Lake Street as options for the three permitted mobile vendors, and establish a lottery system for locations when permits renew; the main motions passed by council vote.
The Calistoga City Council gave staff direction to revise the city’s mobile food‑vending locations and permit process after months of complaints about safety, noise and parking.
Planning Director Greg Desmond summarized the existing program (three permitted trucks) and recurring complaints—primarily noise and pedestrian/cyclist safety where trucks operate in public rights of way. He proposed two fairgrounds locations (one requiring improvements, one not), and identified other candidate locations. Council and public commenters suggested Logby Park as a dispersed location, moving a contested truck off Bridal/Brandon Street, and retaining at least one truck on Lake Street. Councilmember Lisa Giff moved to allow the disputed Bridal/Brandon truck to operate at Logby Park and to adopt a lottery for locations when permits renew; that motion was seconded and approved after clarification that ordinance changes will be required before implementation.
Council also directed staff to prepare an ordinance listing specific permitted locations—Logby Park, Lake Street, two fairgrounds sites identified by staff (one immediately usable and one requiring minor improvements), and a reconfigured Lower Washington segment nearer Crystal Geyser—removing Bridal/Brandon Street as a permitted location. Council discussed but did not adopt a noise‑measuring enforcement program; staff said generator manufacturer decibel ratings and stickers can be checked instead of on‑site sound monitoring to reduce enforcement complexity. The council asked staff to return with ordinance language and implementation details.
