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City sets public hearing to amend its zoning ordinance for Dec. 13

SALUDA—The City of Saluda is considering allowing food trucks, or mobile food vendors. 

The Saluda Board of Commissioners met last week and set a public hearing for Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. 

Commissioners will consider amending the zoning ordinance to allow for food trucks. 

The Saluda Planning Board met recently about amending the zoning ordinance to allow for the use with a recommendation. 

The proposed ordinance from the planning board states that a mobile food vendor must operate in cooperation with an existing Saluda business or be sponsored by a property owner or tenant who agrees to be responsible for the vendor’s compliance. 

Only one mobile food vendor vehicle will be allowed per permit and existing business owners, property owners or tenants are allowed to sponsor up to 12 mobile food vendor permits per 12-month period. 

If approved, food trucks could operate on alleys, parking lots, roadways and private streets with a permit. 

Other provisions include that mobile food vendors may be allowed to remain on the property or street specified by the permit for no more than 2 consecutive 24 hour days, equal to no more than 2 calendar days per vendor. Special event permits do not count against the time limit. 

Parking a mobile food vendor vehicle in the Norfolk-Southern railroad parking lot will not be allowed except with a special event permit and any noise, including from a generator must comply with the city’s noise ordinance. 

The mobile food vendor and/or the permit sponsor will have to give access to restrooms for customer use. 

Commissioners must hold a public hearing prior to any changes to the zoning ordinance. The public hearing will be held during the city’s regular December meeting, located on the second floor of the Saluda Public Library downtown.