CITY MAY SOON CAN RULES THAT FORCE HOUSTON FOOD TRUCKS TO SPACE OUT 
What makes Houston’s food truck scene so quirky, so scrappy, so outré? Well, it could be some of the wacky rules mobile food units are required to follow when they’re operating within city limits — to guard against terrorism, major explosions, and other all-too-common street-food hazards. Three such rules — the fire code regulations that mandate that trucks park no closer than 60 ft. away from one another and that propane-equipped vehicles stay out of Downtown and the Texas Medical Center, and the health code ruling that subjects owners of mobile food vendors to fines if they’re found parking within 100 ft. of any table or chair — could be going away soon, however. A task force charged with looking into the issue is recommending the city 86 those particular regulations but keep in place others, including the requirement to visit a commissary every day. A city council committee meeting this afternoon will be the first opportunity for public comment on the proposed changes; the city’s Laura Spanjian tells Culturemap’s Eric Sandler that she doesn’t expect to the Greater Houston Restaurant Association to object to the recommendations. [Culturemap; more info] Photo: UH
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City of Houston Politicians are so fucking corrupt…some of the excuse that they gave for not passing this were insane
terrorism? seriously? have these idiots been to other cities? wonder around boston and you will find food trucks everywhere, same with austin. it seems like our politicians are in the pocket of the houston RA.
sad, you can sit there and come up with all the mantras and sayings you want about houston but the proof is in the pudding and houston is not “world” class. it is simply the worlds largest small town, run with a small town mentality…
Whoa. I never knew that these trucks could NOT park within 100 feet of any table or chair. That’s a ridiculous rule – and explains why food truck parks never have adequate seating.
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Add in the “no fly” zones in downtown and the Texas Medical Center and the 60-foot “cones of silence” amongst the trucks and you’ve got a real doozy of Bureaucracy Gone Wild. Simply ridiculous.
I thought Texas was anti-regulation? I guess only when it is in favor of business and the wealthy that regulations are ok.