HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - 19ESalas, Diana
From:
Ginelle Hardy <ginelleann@gmail.com>
Sent:
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 4:07 AM
To:
Pulido, Miguel; Villegas, Juan; Penaloza, David; Sarmiento, Vicente; Solorio, Jose; Phil
Bacerra; Iglesias, Cecilia; eComment
Cc:
Macedonio, Margarita
Subject:
Parked Food Vendors Lunch Trucks
May 20, 2020
Mayor and City Council members,
Food vending "Lunch" trucks were discussed at the recent council meeting, specifically problems
about - vending near or on public right of way, implementing an area for food vending trucks,
providing a rental fee for City provided electrical outlets for a food vending truck, and an old RFP
for creating food truck vendor areas.
Food vending trucks parked in a neighborhood are problematic. Chances are only those folks who
live in a neighborhood affected by problems associated with food vending trucks know there is
more to the situation than a tasty meal. Residents and restaurants are affected negatively by a
food vending truck parked nearby. Property values and profits take a permanent hit because once a
food vending truck decides to claim a place to park on the street they generally never give it up
sometimes using various unscrupulous means to guard "their" spot.
A bad idea is providing electricity / electrical outlets for free or a fee to food vending trucks
parked on a public City street or vending on a public right of way in a neighborhood, on
the boundaries of a neighborhood, or adjacent to a neighborhood. Food vending trucks
run roughshod in our neighborhoods claiming streets and locations where they pay no rent and
show little regard for folks who actually live in a neighborhood. A food vending truck parked on
the street and the all day & night time activity associated with it is not attractive and not conducive
to a peaceful quiet neighborhood. And yes there are folks who have a food vending truck
parked directly in front of their place of residence.
A good idea is providing an area, several areas, in the City where food vending trucks can park for
a fee off public streets, and are provided restrooms and hand washing facilities, where there are
tables and seating is available and maybe umbrellas for shade too.
It is frustrating that a parked food vending truck in the neighborhood gets so much attention, kudos
and out of the neighborhood clientele including from City agencies yet all who visit seem oblivious
or turn a blind eye to the fact that a truck parks in a neighborhood in full view of homes and
near restaurants, where it is parked everyday in the same spot taking parking from residents day
and night because when the food vending truck is not parked on the street they have another vehicle
or two park to "save" the space, the food vending truck often has a pool of water under the truck so
large they cover it up with a vehicle parked behind them, a pool of water that is eroding asphalt,
there are repeated and regular deliveries of food made on the street while the delivery vehicle
is stopped and double parked so vehicles are forced to drive around a stationary delivery vehicle, at
times a vehicle parked behind the food vending truck is used to store supplies or homemade food,
at busy times bags of trash are stuffed under the truck, at times bags of onions and food can be seen
stored on the ground, customer's vehicles often park at the red curb near the parked food vending
truck without regard for a school crosswalk at that corner, pedestrians who must navigate a
congestion of customers on the public sidewalk and sitting eating on the raised planter curb.
Unneighborly behavior includes parking too close to an "entrance only" store driveway, so
close that folks leaving the neighborhood can't see around the large parked food vending truck so
that any vehicles that may mistakenly exit could be impossible to see in time to avoid a collision, it
can be scary.
Residents have and can make lists of problems associated with parked food vending trucks
and gangster -like desperado tactics on the streets. Neighbors have worked and
continue to work with City and County agencies to try and find resolution.
Complaints can be specific and documented.
Santa Ana residents have a right to find food vending trucks taking over neighborhood streets and
parked in front of or nearby follt's homes unacceptable. Put yourself in their shoes, would you want
to live near or next to a monopolizing parking hogging food vending truck with lingering crowds,
noise, trash, billowing cooking smells and @ night light pollution too? I think not.
Please do what's right for residents and neighborhoods, work to keep parked food vending trucks
out of residential neighborhoods, at least don't make them more comfortable
by providing amenities like electrical outlets while parked on residential public streets and public
right of ways. Please work to find places in the City to provide for food vending trucks for a
fee dedicated, attractive, electrical hook-up provided areas with lighting, restrooms, hand washing,
tables, seating and shade. City restaurants, residents and neighborhoods will thank you.
Sincerely,
Ginelle Hardy
Heninger Park, President
ginetleann@gmail.com