Trustees discuss food truck proposal
by Dan Holland
July 8 township trustees meeting
Sagamore Hills Trustees, during a public hearing prior to the regular meeting, discussed a proposed addition to the township’s zoning code regarding food truck regulations.
Under the proposal, which was approved by the township zoning commission, a property would be limited to two food truck events within a one-year time period with certain specifications for commercial, residential and senior living/senior care facilities. Food trucks would be banned from parking on streets overnight and sales would not be permitted after 9 p.m. Operators would be required to have zoning registration in place prior to any event.
Trustee Paul Schweikert said he had a few issues with the proposal as written.
“I talked to the prosecutor, and there’s no way to enforce this – who is going to enforce these rules if it’s more than two per year or past the designated hours?” he asked. “I’m also all for having a ban on food trucks at any commercial development unless they’re having an event there and the landlord has agreed to allow it after talking to the tenants.”
“I’m also opposed to having a food truck at a home as a business,” he added. “If you live there, and you’re operating a food truck, then you’re operating a business out of your home, and that should not be allowed. Those are my concerns with it; the enforcement, and the fact that commercial establishments are paying rent to operate their food business.”
Trustee David DePasquale agreed.
“I just don’t think that a property owner should be banned from having a food truck or trailer that prepares food more than two times a year,” said DePasquale. “You have Memorial Day, The Fourth of July, birthdays, anniversaries, graduation parties – and to limit someone to twice a year to cater out their event to a mobile food unit – whether it be a trailer or a truck – I don’t think that’s fair for the residents.”
“We don’t have an issue now with someone running a food truck business out of their home,” added Trustee John Zaccardelli. “As far as enforcement, that would be hard for [zoning inspector] Ray Fantozzi to do. He would have to drive around every Friday and Saturday night and come out to resident calls, and he doesn’t get paid enough to do that. So, the resources are very limited as far as enforcement.”
Trustees agreed to review a revised draft of the proposal, to be prepared by Attorney Jeff Snell, at their next meeting.
Regular meeting
DePasquale noted that two brand new HVAC units, funded through a NOPEC grant for $28,000, were delivered on July 3 and will be installed at the administrative building and police station during the week of July 14.
The township also received a $12,545 Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services that will fully fund the purchase of ten body-worn cameras for the police department. The purchase will allow for all township officers to be equipped with the new devices.
Snell said he recently met with the executive director of the board of Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services for updates on a new facility to be built in Northfield. Plans call for a 16-bed adult, voluntary, residential stepdown facility to be built on the grounds of Northcoast Behavioral Health with an expected groundbreaking in August, he said.
In other business, trustees approved:
- A then-and-now certificate for $56,198 to pay Barbicas Construction for catch basin work performed in the township.
- An intergovernmental memorandum of understanding with Summit County for job creation, retention and revenue sharing.
- Awarding a $937,015 bid to C.A Agresta for the Village Parkway Project. Work will be funded through a grant by the State Capital Improvement Program and the Local Transportation Improvement Program through the Ohio Public Works Program.
- An application for the Summer Sweet Drainage Project under the NEORSD Community Cost-Share Program that will provide reimbursement of funds up to $13,780 to the township for work done. ∞