Fort Myers Beach planners approve food-truck park with conditions after debate over noise, hours and buffers

The Local Planning Agency for the Town of Fort Myers Beach voted to approve a conditional planned development allowing a mobile vendor/food-truck park on Estero Boulevard after extended public comment and a lengthy discussion of noise, traffic, buffers and enforcement.

The motion, made by Jim and seconded by Doug, passed after the panel weighed staff recommendations, neighborhood testimony and applicant assurances. Staff principal planner Judith Frankel said the town’s land-development code does not specifically address food-truck parks, which is why the CPD process was used to write site-specific regulations. "The code does allow for the commercial development process, which is what we're in now," Frankel told the LPA, and she listed the six deviations and a set of conditions recommended by staff.

Why it matters: The proposal replaces a previously vacant, hurricane-impacted parcel with a commercial concept that members said is "less intense" than earlier entitlements but more potentially intrusive to adjacent residents because it is open-air. Neighbors warned the proposal could hurt property values and generate nuisance noise; Pelican Watch owner Randy Bryce said realtors and prospective buyers already reported changed interest after the project was publicized.

Staff recommended a long list of conditions…