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April 1, 2021

Hartford eyeing food truck parks

HBJ PHOTO | John Stearns Food trucks line up daily along downtown Hartford's Elm Street bordering state offices and Bushnell Park.
By Sean Teehan

City officials in Hartford are considering creating food truck parks where mobile food vendors could set up shop as the weather gets warmer and the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to recede.

City planners are still developing the concept, but a food truck park would likely consist of outdoor spaces featuring lighting, access to electricity and would be landscaped and have furnishings for diners, said Hartford Planning Director Aimee Chambers.

Mayor Luke Bronin floated the idea to the Hartford City Council last week in a proposed ordinance that would also codify temporary restrictions on food trucks and street vendors the city imposed last year, which included a provision that most of these businesses close by 9 p.m. 

City Councilor John Gale said restrictions imposed last year, including the 9 p.m. curfew, were put in place when residents were complaining about all-night gatherings around some food trucks in residential neighborhoods. However, he thinks food trucks are a positive for Hartford, especially as the city begins to recover from the pandemic.

"I personally would favor encouraging as much business as possible, I think that food trucks are a great entre in bringing our streets back to life," Gale said.

Gale added that creating food truck parks in places that don't abut residences could help generate business and buzz without creating problems for residents.

Hartford City Council is set to hold a hearing on the food truck ordinance on April 19.
 

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