City of Powell River staff have recommended changes to locations where street vending is allowed to occur.
Staff recommended additional locations for street vending in the city, including the parking lot south of the Willingdon Beach area, two locations adjacent to the wharfinger building at the Wharf at Westview and in the Mowat Bay parking area. Staff recommended that two carts be allowed at all locations. At the wharf, the recommendation is one cart east of the wharfinger building and one cart west of the building.
At the April 4 council meeting, councillors passed a motion allowing Planet Cleve to continue to operate a mobile food cart in the parking lot adjacent to Willingdon Beach. The owners of the cart had been allowed to operate there for a one-month pilot project and the motion council passed allowed the cart to continue operating there until a final decision is made regarding street vending at this location.
Street vending is defined as the sale of food or merchandise from a motor vehicle or mobile cart located on a street or property owned by the city. Currently, street vending is permitted on land the city owns at the end of Courtenay Street and adjacent to the boat ramp in the north harbour, as well as on the corner of Marine Avenue and Alberni Street.
The lack of adequate locations is cited as one of the reasons why mobile carts have not been successful. “Introduced as an alternative way to do business and encourage economic activity, mobile carts have not flourished in the city,” stated a staff report. “Several past entrepreneurs who have tried this business abandoned it after a relatively short time.”
Staff also recommended that the city establish a $200-a-month fee to operate a mobile cart on municipal property, on a first come, first served basis.
“The increase in the number and quality of locations for street vending should encourage the provision of alternative convenient food services in areas where conventional businesses do not have a presence and/or as a complement to these services,” stated the staff report. “To avoid the perception of ‘unfair competition,’ it is proposed to establish a fee to all street vending operating in municipal lands.”
Council will be considering an amendment to the zoning bylaw at the April 18 council meeting that will expand the number of locations for street vending.
