Food Truck Work Group agrees on pilot program

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Arts & Culture

If approved, program would allow food trucks to operate in designated "food truck zones" downtown

After more than three months of meetings and discussions, the city's Food Truck Work Group has agreed upon a Food Truck pilot program, according to 2nd District Council Member Shevawn Akers' office.

Akers is the chair of the work group, which includes other council members, other city officials, and representatives from local food truck operators and brick and mortar restaurant owners. Vice Mayor Linda Gorton formed the work group in late January with the intent of creating a new Food Truck Ordinance.

Under the proposed pilot program – which must be presented as a resolution to the Urban County Council, following approval from the Lexington Parking Authority – food truck vendors will have access to designated on-street parking areas downtown within proposed food truck zones (see the accompanying map for the locations of proposed food truck zones).

The parking authority board will take up the matter on May 16, if the group approves of the proposed spaces, Akers said she will bring the resolution to council on May 23. Akers says if the parking authority board doesn't approve of the proposed parking spots, the work group will likely propose on-street parking after 5 p.m. to the board.

Earlier this year the work group had success passing a partial ordinance streamlining the permitting process for food truck vendors, who are currently limited to operating on private property.

Voting and non-voting members comprised the Food Truck Work Group. Voting members include:

Shevawn Akers, 2nd District Council member

Bill Farmer, Jr., 5th District Council member

Kevin Stinnett, 6th District Council member

Diane Lawless, 3rd District Council member

Harry Clarke, 10th District Council member

Non-voting members include:

Devin Luckett, of the Downtown Lexington Corporation

Jeff Fugate, executive director of Downtown Development Authority

Sean Tibbetts, director of the Blue Grass Food Truck Association

Rice Leach, from LFUCG Health Department

Gene Williams, owner of Natasha's Bistro

Lori Houlihan, from the mayor's office

Anthony Rios, independent food truck operator

In March, Southsider Magazine profiled several local food truck operators, click here to see the story.