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Willard committee tables plan for 'Lunch Box 101' food cart at Grumpy Goat
Summary
A Willard conditional-use review committee voted to table Danny Olsen’s request to keep a mostly-stationary food cart, Lunch Box 101, in the Grumpy Goat bike shop parking lot until the applicant submits Bear River Health Department approvals and a property-owner application from Mr. Merrill/Spencer.
A Willard conditional-use review committee on Jan. 31 tabled an application from Danny Olsen to operate a largely stationary food cart called Lunch Box 101 in the Grumpy Goat bike shop parking lot, saying the committee needs Health Department approvals and a property-owner application before making a recommendation to planning commission.
Olsen told the committee he plans to operate primarily at lunchtime Monday through Friday, keep a short rotating menu ("chicken sandwich, hamburger, hot dog") and use Spencer's kitchen as a commissary. "I'm not there to charge you $5 per street taco," Olsen said, adding that his wife will hold the managerial food-safety certification and that he intends the cart to remain on-site rather than travel between locations.
Committee members questioned whether the unit should be treated as a temporary movable food truck or a permanent on-site use. Several reviewers noted the zoning code for Old Town Willard and the conditional-use process require that an applicant address municipal standards before the planning commission reviews an item. "It's odd and problematic" for an applicant who does not own the property to be the sole applicant for a conditional use, one member said, and the committee requested that the property owner (referred to in the record as Mr. Merrill/Spencer) submit or co-sign the application.
Health and safety requirements were a central concern. Reviewers and staff asked Olsen to supply documentation from the Bear River Health Department showing mobile-food plan approval, evidence of a three-compartment sink at the commissary, managerial and food-handler permits, proof of a safe water supply and backflow prevention, and current fire-extinguisher certification. "They told me I had to do that before I could even open," Olsen said of the health department, describing water-tank sizing, grease-capture and other plan-review items that health officials will check.
Parking and site layout were also discussed. Committee members pointed to standard stall dimensions (commonly 9 feet by 20 feet for 90-degree spaces) and noted shared or overflow parking behind adjacent businesses could affect how the cart is sited. The committee asked for a finalized parking diagram that meets Willard's standards.
After discussion, Speaker 3 made a motion to table the application "until we flush some of this out," which Speaker 4 seconded. The committee voted in favor and carried the motion. As next steps, the committee asked Olsen to provide Bear River Health Department plan-review documentation and food-handler/managerial permits, and asked staff to obtain a property-owner affidavit or an application from Mr. Merrill so the conditional-use application properly reflects property ownership. The committee said it will revisit the application once the materials are submitted.
The committee also approved routine minutes and adjourned later in the meeting. No final planning commission action was taken on the proposal during this session.
