Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance establishes a map, which will divide Columbus into three zones for the purpose of mobile food vending operations. In November 2012, City Council was approached about developing regulations for food trucks and other mobile food vendors. On April 7, 2014, City Council passed Ordinance 0773-2014, which repealed Chapter 573 Pushcarts and enacted a new 573, establishing comprehensive regulations for the operation of mobile food vendors.
The new Chapter 573 creates three zones in the City - congestion zone, commercial zone, and non-commercial zone. The congestion zone covers areas that are highly congested. Mobile food vendors operating in the congestion zone have limited access to the public right of way. They can only operate in designated mobile food vending spaces. The commercial zone is less congested and is located in commercial areas, such as the Downtown. It is more open for mobile food vendors. They can park in the first and last spaces of a block in the commercial zone. Finally, non-commercial zone are residential areas. There is extremely limited access for mobile food vendors operating in the non-commercial zone. They can receive a temporary commercial zone permit from the Department of Public Service to operate for a limited time in the non-commercial zone or they can stay parked for no longer than fifteen.
Chapter 573 requires that the director of public service, in consultation with the director of public safety and the Mobile Food Vending Advisory Board, establish the boundaries of the three zones. To ensure the success of this new legislation and that mobile food vendors know where they can operate in the City, Council suspended this requirement (Sections 573.132(a) and 573.133(a)) until October 1, 2014.
Council with the help of the Department of Development, Planning Division has divided the City into the three zones. It has created a map, attached here, that will be displayed on the Department...
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