Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance enacts new Columbus City Code Chapter 922, titled “Temporary Commercial Zone Permit.” This chapter creates a new permit that will allow for commercial activity, including mobile food vending, to be conducted in one or more parking locations in the public right of way while maintaining vehicular traffic access on the street, road or alley.
In November 2012, City Council was approached about developing regulations for food trucks and other mobile food vendors. The specific request was to permit mobile food vendors to operate in and sell from the public right of way. On April 7, 2014 City Council passed ordinance 0773-2014 to amend Chapter 573 to establish comprehensive regulations for the operation of mobile food vendors on private property and in the public right of way. This ordinance is a companion piece to ordinance 0773-2014.
Chapter 922 will permit commercial vendors, including mobile food vendors, to apply for a permit to allow them to occupy one or more parking spaces in the public right of way. The permit would close the parking space(s) to be used by the mobile food vendor(s), but would not close the street itself and still allow for vehicular traffic. The applicant will have to submit a petition bearing the signatures of eighty (80) percent of the property owners or tenants, or building managers whose property adjoins the side(s) of the public street affected by the permit. Chapter 922 addresses two issues that were raised by stakeholders during the process of developing mobile food vendor regulations. The first relates to parking in the right of way in “non-commercial zones” and the second relates to parking in the right of way without requiring a full street closure.
Non-Commercial Zones:
· Chapter 573 divided the city into three different parking zones: congestion, commercial and non-commercial. Each zone has specific regulations for how mobile food vendors may park and operate in the public right-of-way. In...
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