Colwood council is moving to allow mobile food vendors to operate on private property and on public property during special events.
The decision comes as the result of a number of requests from local businesses to have mobile food vendors on private land.
Currently Colwood bylaws do not allow this, even though staff recognized these types of businesses do operate, even on public property, with little to no enforcement of the bylaw.
“We’re not going to chase ice cream trucks out of parks unless complaints come in,” said director of planning Alan Haldenby.
City staff will develop an amendment to the land use bylaw that will allow mobile food vendors to operate on private land with some regulation. This will be done with public consultation and will have to be approved by council.
Staff are also instructed to report to council on the changes in one year to “determine whether further changes or expansion to public property are desirable.”
Staff will also consider provisions to allow food trucks on public land during special events.
After the initial year, when the policy is reviewed, there will be the potential to allow mobile food vendors to operate in public parks on an ongoing basis.
Colwood’s parks committee voted at an earlier meeting to not support mobile vending in Colwood parks, particularly at Coburg peninsula and Esquimalt lagoon, except during special events.
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