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Selectmen split on food‑truck restrictions; proposed Main Street ban fails 2–3
Summary
Following a well-attended hearing, Stonington selectmen debated adopting parking-ordinance limits on food trucks; a motion to ban food trucks from Main Street, Hagen Dock and Sea Breeze failed 2–3, and the town manager was asked to draft clearer ordinance language and boundaries.
Residents, downtown restaurant owners and food-truck operators attended a town hearing on proposed changes to the parking ordinance to regulate food trucks.
Arguments from business owners focused on competition, parking and public safety; some business owners said they had not been harmed by trucks, while others raised concerns about pedestrian safety, customer flow and fairness. The selectmen discussed excluding downtown Main Street, Hagen Dock and Sea Breeze from food‑truck operation areas but noted questions about enforcement and whether festivals should be exempted.
A motion to adopt parking-ordinance changes banning food trucks from Main Street, Hagen Dock and Sea Breeze was made but failed on a 2–3 vote (Brewer, Duncan and Steed opposed). TM Billings was directed to prepare proposed parking-ordinance language and boundary maps for the board’s review and possible public hearing.
Why it matters: the decision affects downtown commerce, pedestrian safety and how the town balances support for established businesses with mobile vendors and event-driven activity.
Next steps: TM will draft ordinance language and a map showing any exclusion zones and bring the proposal back to the board for consideration and public input.
