Coquitlam council has approved a street vending bylaw that will allow food trucks to operate in the city.
Up to 10 licences will be made available for a variety of locations around the city, particularly around the city centre area and Douglas College.
Council considered the bylaw last month but sent it back to staff after concerns were raised about the impact the carts and trucks would have on existing restaurants in the area. In an updated report, staff said that several changes have been made to the bylaw to address council's concerns.
Following more consultation with groups like the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, the rules now state that a vendor must be at least 30 m from an existing business. With the new buffer requirement, a new list of potential locations was created and presented to council.
Two areas where licenses will be discontinued is on the east side of The High Street between Atlantic Avenue and Glen Drive and the south side of Glen Drive west of The High. Those areas are too close to existing restaurants, according to the city staff report.
Several other locations around the city were removed from the pre-approved list, mainly because of insufficient interest from the street vendors.
Several areas that are particularly popular for food trucks and carts included the west side of Pinetree Way near Douglas College, which will receive up to two licences, and the eastside of Pinetree Way adjacent to Town Centre Park.
The south-west corner of Lougheed at the Barnet Highway (near the West Coast Express station) is also under consideration along with sites suggested by vendors themselves.
Licensing fees have also been changed. For example, licensing costs for street vendors and food trucks were initially set for a $110 flat fee plus $25 for every square foot of space used, which worked out to an average fee of $2,500. Staff suggested a flat rate of $1,000 plus any lost parking revenue, which is closer to what other cities charge.
Council unanimously supported the initiative, with councillors Lou Sekora and Bonita Zarrillo absent.
