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Board allows mobile food court near Marbach Road homes after buffering promises
Summary
The Board approved a variance to eliminate the 200‑foot separation required between mobile food courts and residential lots at 9235 Marbach Road, contingent on proposed screening, limited hours and landscaping; staff will confirm buffer and easement constraints during permitting.
The Board of Adjustment voted 9–1 to allow a mobile food‑court concept at 9235 Marbach Road to proceed without the code’s standard 200‑foot separation from residentially zoned property. Applicant Renee Morales said the parcel is zoned C‑3 and adjoins a 60‑foot drainage easement and other non‑residential easements, effectively creating substantial separation and a practical buffer from the nearest houses.
Morales proposed a landscape screen, a wood fence (requesting up to 8 feet if permitted), limited hours, non‑amplified music and routine trash management to reduce impacts. Staff explained the code requires a 200‑foot separation by property line but also noted the existence of overlapping easements — drainage, electric and gas — which reduce the practical adjacency and may affect buffer requirements; staff said easement configurations will be reviewed during permitting.
Several commissioners asked that the applicant rework the layout to maximize distance between food‑truck operations and residences and asked staff to verify whether a 15‑foot buffer standard or a reduced planning strip applies where easements preclude planting. The applicant said the operation could be reconfigured to push truck activity further from the residential edge and would install the living screen the MC‑3 design standards reference.
The board conditioned approval on demonstrable landscaping/screening and on staff verification of buffer requirements during the permitting stage. The applicant must provide a detailed site and landscape plan during permit review and follow city noise and nuisance rules.
Speakers quoted were drawn from the public hearing record, including the applicant Renee Morales and staff planning representatives.
