You might be surprised that Stafford's planning and zoning regulations did not address the presence of food trucks in town. That has not stopped food trucks and trailers from showing up and, in at least one case, setting up shop permanently. Now, as these mobile kitchens gain in popularity, the zoning department decided it was time to address the issue formally. So, when a new food trailer popped up on the same site where a now-defunct food trailer once stood, it was an opportunity to get the ball rolling on actual regulations.
At the Thursday, March 6, 2025, Planning and Zoning Meeting (PZC), there was a a public hearing to hear a text amendment to the regulations proposed by Rob Candelaria, one of the owners of the food trailer in question. The PZC members discussed the potential additional considerations and what was presented in the text amendment. Essentially, the proposed text would let food trucks or trailers apply for special use permits that would be tied to a specific location in the highway business zone. The PZC made some tweaks to the language that would exempt the trucks and trailers associated with civic events, such as Winterfest, from going through the process. Likewise, if the trucks are hired for private events as caterers, they would not have to go through the special use permit process.
While more changes to the regulation may come eventually, Dr. David Mordasky put it simply: "We need to start somewhere." Now that the text amendment has been adopted, the applicants must actually apply for the special use permit. Once that's done, keep your eye out for a new food trailer on Main Street.