Politics & Government

Food Trucks Good for Other Retail Businesses, City Officials Say

The Alameda Planning Board will review guidelines for food trucks at its meeting next Tuesday.

Food trucks are here to stay in Alameda, if the Planning Board adopts staff recommendations at its meeting next Tuesday. 

Under a one-year pilot program, food trucks have operated weekly, at lunchtime Saturdays, at South Shore Center. Food trucks have also been permitted to operate at Harbor Bay Business Park, the 700 block of Central Avenue by Eighth Street and the weekly flea market at College of Alameda.

"According to South Shore’s representative, the events have become an effective marketing tool," says a report by Eric Fonstein, the city's development manager.

Find out what's happening in Alamedawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The shopping center conducted a month-long, internal analysis last October and found an average attendance of 1,400 people at the events with a significant increase in overall sales for the center’s retailers."

The report also says that the city has not received any complaints or negative comments about the food truck program from business associations, existing brick-and-mortar  businesses or local residents.

Find out what's happening in Alamedawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Staff is recommending two changes:

—Streamlining the permit process for food trucks by eliminating the annual review and renewal requirement for conditional use permits and encroachment permit for food trucks.

—Allowing more flexibility in the location of food trucks at Alameda Point by permitting the city's public works director to approve sites on a case-by-case basis.  

The changes are on the consent calendar for the Planning Board's meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the City Hall council chambers, 2263 Santa Clara Ave. You may see the complete agenda and related staff reports on the City of Alameda website here.

Like Alameda Patch | Follow Alameda Patch | Blog on Patch | Get Free Patch Newsletters | PostEvents | Post Announcements


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here