By James Hilepo SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The food truck industry in Syracuse may be expanding, as new legislation might soon make it easier for trucks to operate in the city.
Proposed changes in the Common Council would cut the fees required for a permit and grant the trucks access to more spaces around the city.
The current fees of $1,500 per year and the limited number of legal parking locations has driven most of the food trucks in the area to the suburbs.
Permit fees in the suburbs are substantially less expensive, while food trucks on private property are outside of the jurisdiction of the Common Council, and thus cannot be charged for parking permits.
Pam Dwyer, owner of the Lady Bug Lunch Box, is currently the only food truck operator who pays for the permit at its current price every year. She does so to secure her spot on the corner of East Fayette and South State Street but recognizes that the costs are an issue.
Dwyer thinks that lowered rates would be beneficial for the industry in the city, but she is not sure whether it will happen or not.
“Maybe more people would come downtown … [but] I’m surprised they haven’t raised them.”
The Common Council met on Tuesday to discuss the possible changes. Leading the push is Councilor Michael Greene, who sees potential in what the food trucks can offer the city.
“Our hope is that by kind of opening up this legislation, it might encourage people that don’t already have a food truck to maybe open up that kind of business. The other thing that’s exciting about it is a lot of food trucks in other parts of the country graduate into a full brick- and-mortar restaurant.”
Greene hopes the Common Council can come to a decision and vote on the issue next week.
