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Massachusetts town leaders mulling food truck policy

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February 11, 2020

Town leaders in Chatham, Massachusetts are looking to develop specific food truck regulations, similar to a neighboring town, as part of a one-year food truck pilot program.

The lawmakers are striving to make sure policies and rules are fair and equitable for both food truck operators and local brick-and-mortar restaurants who view the trucks as competition, according to a Cape Cod Chronicle report.

The town attorney said zoning bylaws are not designed to regulate trucks and will require approval at town meeting by a two-thirds majority.

In nearby Needham, permits for mobile food vendors require they be located at least 200 feet from the customer entrance of a fixed-location restaurant, and allows food trucks to specific street locations, but they can also operate on school property, public parks and parking lots.