Clearwater is one step closer to having a mobile food truck.

 

Tuesday, the Clearwater Planning Commission agreed on the language of a recommendation to be forwarded to the city council regarding a revised site plan for Clearwater Hardware & Bait that would allow a mobile food unit to be located there long-term.

 

Almost a year ago, representatives from Jimmy’s Pizza approached the city council about locating a permanent mobile food truck on the site. Since the city didn’t have any language in its ordinances regarding such a unit, they worked to establish an ordinance, which includes license fees, unit size and distances from streets and businesses. 

 

Tuesday, the commission discussed a number of points with Ed Goff, owner of the hardware store.

 

The biggest concern was parking. Since the food truck would have its own employees, it required additional parking spaces.

 

The original site plan from 2009 required the hardware store to have 31 parking spaces. Goff said he could easily mark off 39 spots, which would accommodate both businesses.

 

Marking off the spaces was one point of discussion, since that was one of the conditions of the 2009 site plan. Also included in the plan was the planting of five trees and four shrubs on the perimeter of the property.

 

Commission Member Gary Phelps said he didn’t want to approve a new site plan if the all the terms in the orignal site plan hadn’t been addressed.

 

Goff said he would mark the spaces and do the plantings as required, although planting would have to take place once the weather allowed it.

 

Commission Member Rollie Lange suggested making a recommendation to approve the site plan contingent on having the parking spaces marked and plantings done by July 1.

 

That motion passed, along with other recommendations to the council, including waiving ordinance requirements regarding parking of commercial vehicles on site and prohibiting the use of a vehicle for business.

 

The recommendation will be forwarded to the council at its April 16 meeting. If approved, Jimmy’s is still required to obtain a variance from the Dept. of Health to allow food delivery and get an state electrical inspection.