Yucca Valley Planning Commission paved the way for further discussion for food truck vending on sidewalks, private property

The Yucca Valley Planning Commission held a third round of discussions on outdoor sidewalk displays commonly found at secondhand stores in town. The Commission drafted a list of potential regulation recommendations at previous meetings in November and May. Following a presentation by Town Staff, the Commission agreed that outdoor sidewalk displays should have a restriction on maximum footage of displays, and the permitting process should utilize the Exterior Color Change and Commercial Design Review application. The Commission also considered potential regulations on mobile food vendors. As Town Staff presented, the California Department of Transportation will not issue any vending permit within its right-of-way; in Yucca Valley, no vendor can legally operate on sidewalks on Highways 62 or 247, the main traffic areas. In turn, the Town will not issue a permit for commercial zone vending without sidewalks, which are limited in town. Kristy Meeler of the Happy Cooker spoke during the public comment period; she noted the challenges posed by trying to operate a mobile food vendor legally in Yucca Valley. The Commission considered her testimony and the staff's presentation; they ultimately agreed to further the discussion of ways for vendors to operate legally on private and designated public property. One suggestion by Commissioner Henderson was along Elk Trail following its renovation to a public space via the Old Town Beautification and Sustainability Project. Chair Gerard Noonan spoke to public comments about his owning a restaurant in the unincorporated area of Joshua Tree, as well as how food trucks have enhanced the food scene. “I have built multiple brick-and-mortar restaurants, but I've also been a part of a lot of events that have a lot of food trucks. The food trucks enhanced all the events significantly. There are areas in L.A., where chefs get their start to launch new products at food trucks. The wanting of a designated food truck area in the town has a lot of merit. I know economically it has to make sense; it's a sensitive subject, and it's one that's important to a lot of people.” Lastly, Town Staff provided the Planning Commission with a demonstration of the new Geographic Information System map. This tool can be used by the public to locate individual land parcels within the Town of Yucca Valley and retrieve information about their zoning and pertinent development codes. Users can search areas by parcel number or address and can also filter by different zoning areas. Town Staff anticipates the map will be published on a public site later this week.