City Council OKs 3 Food Truck Locations in Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The Alexandria City Council at their meeting this week OK'd three food truck locations in the City.

Food vendors will begin applying for the spots within the next 30 days, a City spokesman said Thursday.

Three locations were approved by the City:

1. Braddock Street Metro at N. West St., three parking spaces will allow two food trucks to park in the spaces for up to four hours at a time between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2. Eisenhower Avenue at the Metro on Mill Road; four parking spaces will allow three food trucks to park in the spaces for up to four hours at t time between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
3. King Street Gardens, 1806 King Street, four parking spaces will make way for three trucks, also between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

At the meeting, Councilwoman Del Pepper asked if the vendors will pay for parking. Vendors won't pay for parking but will eventually pay a food truck vendor fee. A $250 fee will be waived for the first year as an incentive for participation in the program.

Mayor Allison Silberberg questioned why the parking spaces would need to be tied up from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., especially if they aren't being used outside of regular dining hours and residents might need the parking spaces. That will be studied, a City spokeswoman briefing the Council said.

The proposal for a food truck program has been a hot topic in Alexandria. There have been more than 2,000 comments in a City poll about food vendor trucks on the City AlexEngage site.

City Council could approve new locations in the future and will consider the following criteria, according to the City presentation this week:

City Council shall consider the following factors in determining whether a location should be used for vending:

1. Concentration of people within a quarter (1/4) mile of the location;
2. Adequacy of parking in the surrounding area;
3. Adequacy of space on the street for circulation and safety; and
4. Amount of congestion.

Minimum Requirements of Location: At a minimum, the designated vending locations shall:

1. be on streets that have at least sixty-six (66) feet of right-of-way;
2. include no more than four (4) parking spaces in a row;
3. not be located in front or within twenty (20) feet from a commercial outdoor dining area measured along the curb line;
4. not be within ten (10) feet of an intersection, crosswalk, driveway, bus stop, taxi stand, or handicapped parking space;
5. not be situated in any part of any designated loading zone or fire lane; and
6. allow for adequate clearance for pedestrian traffic as determined by the director of T&ES based on the context of the specific site.

PHOTO: Food truck photo courtesy of City

Watch a video here of City Council discussing the food truck program and the locations: