The Fairfax County Planning Commission thinks the county might want to revisit its time limits on food trucks.
Commission members requested at their Jan. 15 meeting that the Board of Supervisors consider increasing the existing limit of four hours at a single location.
The proposal was made by commission chairman Phil Niedzielski-Eicher (At-Large) on behalf of Mason District Commissioner Alis Wang, the Mason District representative, who was unable to attend the meeting.
The planning commission unanimously endorsed a letter asking county supervisors to have staff examine the issue and come back with “a set of options,” Niedzielski-Eichner said.
Hunter Mill District Commissioner John Carter agreed that it’s worth looking at whether letting food trucks linger for longer might benefit their operations and give them greater visibility.
“These are start-up businesses,” he said.
Sully District Commissioner Evelyn Spain noted that food trucks enliven many a community event. They serve as “a place where people gather during the event and even after the event,” she said.
The letter to supervisors will be included with the commission’s recommendations that the county ease its rules for food trucks and special events to allow more flexibility and reduce administrative obstacles. The proposed changes are expected to be heard by the Board of Supervisors at its Feb. 4 meeting.
Fairfax County’s current regulations generally limit food truck operations to larger commercial and industrial lots, though they can venture into certain areas of residential neighborhoods, such as spots adjacent to community pools, for up to 12 days per year.
The staff proposal endorsed last week by the planning commission would allow food trucks on smaller commercial/industrial lots, and increase from 12 to 32 the maximum number of days per year on any given space in a residential neighborhood.
For special events, staff recommended taking a “tiered approach” to reviewing permits, with standards and fees varying depending on the type, size and duration of a given event. A one-day event, such as a grand opening for a retail store, would be limited to eight hours a day and 150 attendees at a time, and a permit would cost $120 — half of the existing special events fee.
Longer events like seasonal Christmas tree sales or cultural festivals could stay for up to 60 days, an increase from the current 21-day limit, though staff proposed keeping that in place for circuses and carnivals. Permits for those second-tier events would still cost $240.
