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Food‑truck owners warn 500‑foot buffer and process will put vendors out of business
Summary
Multiple vendors told the committee that the 500‑foot buffer, denial of applications and routing to the wrong departments risked displacing long‑standing operators; several asked for grandfathering or a pause while processes are fixed.
Food‑truck owners packed the committee room and told the Springfield committee the ordinance’s buffer rules and application process threatened their livelihoods. Several vendors said they had operated at the same private sites for years and were denied permits after the new rules were enforced. One vendor said she applied at the health department, got a permit there, then was denied at DPW the next day; another described being told the location was within 100 feet of a residential property and must move.
Many speakers said the ordinance’s 500‑foot rule from brick‑and‑mortar restaurants was hard to meet in a city with limited private lots and could push vendors to neighboring towns. Vendors called for grandfathering of existing locations, clearer guidance on where to apply and a list of pre‑approved locations so operators would have alternatives. Several vendors mentioned legal counsel being interested in challenges to site restrictions; councilors said the committee would consider options including grandfathering and reduced buffers at the full council.
