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Council asks staff to vet weekly Town Square food-truck proposal; public and business owners warn of harms to downtown
Summary
A private promoter proposed a weekly food-truck event at Town Square Park. Councilors and downtown market organizers raised concerns about competition with local restaurants and Market Night; council directed staff to take the idea to the Town Square ad hoc/special‑events committee and consider smaller pilot trials tied to existing concerts or movie nights.
Murrieta — The City Council on July 1 debated a proposal from a private promoter to run a weekly, year‑round food-truck event at Town Square Park and directed staff to return with a vetted plan after ad hoc committee review.
Assistant City Manager Kristin Crane and Community Services Director Brian Ambrose outlined the proposal: weekly Wednesday events running 5–10 p.m., promoter-managed logistics (trucks, security, cleanup), and an initial request to waive application/permit fees. Staff estimated one-time fees under $2,300 and recurring per-event city costs around $1,500, plus personnel costs for on-site oversight (roughly $822 per event for two city staff and a fire inspector in staff’s preliminary estimate).
Business owners and longtime market organizers urged caution. Connie McConnell and other Main Street/Market Night volunteers warned that a weekly gathering of up to 40 food trucks could draw customers away from downtown restaurants and undercut a successful market-night nonprofit that already attracts local vendors and families. "If the city chooses to add this event, it is in direct competition with our market and will take away business," one organizer said.
The proposer, Alexander Upremian of Wanderlust Events, said his events in other cities have grown each week and argued they can attract broad audiences without city staffing burdens; he said earlier implementations used minimal city support and that his team handles waste, security and logistics.
Council response and direction: Members expressed support for exploring the idea but not for immediate, wholesale approval. Several suggested alternatives including pairing a smaller food-truck presence with existing concerts or movie nights, creating a time-limited pilot program, revising the fee schedule, and requiring promoter “skin in the game” rather than full fee waivers. The council asked staff to convene the Town Square ad hoc/special-events committee and prepare a pilot-program proposal and fee‑policy options; staff agreed to schedule the ad hoc committee meeting quickly.
What’s next: Staff will return with recommendations from the ad hoc committee, a refined fee/permit model and pilot options for council consideration rather than approving a weekly series without further review.
