Food Trucks Now Allowed In Sandy Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Sandy Springs is joining the growing list of cities that are warming to the idea of food trucks operating within their borders. The City Council at its Oct. 17 meeting approved amendments to the city's zoning ordinance that will allow food trucks to set up shop on commercial, mixed used and Perimeter-zone properties.

Food trucks seeking to feed Sandy Springs visitors and residents must obtain a yearly permit, allowing them to operate at up to five different locations and a chance to seek multiple permits, the city notes. Tuesday's approval was unanimous; Mayor Rusty Paul was not present (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

“The demand for mobile food units has grown and our process to regulate food trucks on private property through our special events permitting process was time consuming and cumbersome for both the business owner and staff,” said Sandy Springs Assistant City Manager Jim Tolbert, adding the new ordinance has streamlined the process and ensures all needed requirements are met.

Under the ordinance, food truck applicants must provide a valid city business license, health permit from the Georgia Department of Public Health and written permission of the property owner. These operators must also provide a drawing of the property so the city can make sure they are following fire codes and not blocking access, parking, ingress or egress on the property.

The ordinance, however, does prohibit the sale of alcohol and items other than food and places restrictions on tenting, music, noise and signage. Food trucks will not be allowed within 100 feet of a single family or two-family residential use. They are also not permitted on the same property as an existing restaurant unless the owner of that restaurant owns the mobile food unit.

Tolbert added that the changes to the ordinance were discussed with both the Sandy Springs Restaurant Council, Savor Sandy Springs and the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce, which all expressed support of the proposal.

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