For those affected, the wait for Ordinance 15-05 has been much longer than a few hours at City Hall, but rather three months since it has been re-introduced.
At the center of the controversy is the 50-foot buffer zone, which the city council is considering extending. Under current city regulations, food trucks have to be at least 50 feet away from restaurants ?and bars.
The proposed ordinance would essentially change where the buffer is measured.
If a bar has an outdoor eating area, the buffer would be measured from the parameter of the patio instead of the building itself, pushing the food trucks farther away.
There are three general issues with the food trucks: noise, emissions and space, with space being the most controversial.
Some of the bars and restaurants downtown and their patrons have complained about food trucks taking up parking spots for potential costumers and blocking the view of their establishments.
Chad Sutor, co-owner of the Big Cheeze food truck, spoke for about 17 minutes during the meeting’s public comment section.
He said there is a need for clear regulations, but not the buffer zone being proposed. Sutor said the proposed ordinance would make his spot illegal, as it is just within 50 feet of ?Potbelly’s.
“The 50-foot mark hits six inches into our current spot where we do 81 percent of our business,” ?Sutor said.
Sutor said he supports most of the regulation in the proposed ordinance, he just opposes the parts that could jeopardize his truck’s current location across from Kilroy’s Bar and Grill.
Jerry Eisenberg from Butch’s Grillacatessen and Pizzeria, located on Seventh Street, spoke up against food trucks, saying regulations should be more fair to brick-and-mortar restaurants.
“If food trucks are dependent on Bloomington’s busiest blocks, shouldn’t the city be compensated?” Eisenberg said.
In addition, the buffer zone would be enforced even when restaurants are closed, meaning some desired spots would be permanently off limits.
“I understand that enforcement is going to be a very difficult issue for all of us, but I don’t how that can’t be included somehow,” Bea’s Soda Bar Owner Elizabeth Throne said of the regulation.
