CHAPEL HILL -- Food trucks are now welcome in Chapel Hill, provided vendors follow the town's new rules.
The Town Council unanimously passed new rules for food trucks and trailers Monday night with no discussion. The town now joins Carrboro, Durham and Raleigh in allowing food trucks, though in Chapel Hill they are limited to private, non-residential property.
Under the town's rules, food trucks or trailers must be parked at least 100 feet from an existing restaurant and cannot interfere with the restaurant's business.
Food trucks would be inspected monthly, and the town would monitor the trucks for compliance, rather than waiting for someone to complain.
The cost of enforcing the new rules had been a concern for some council members and for Town Manager Roger Stancil. The council amended the town budget Monday to include $3,000 for inspection costs.
The new rules would establish a permit system and new fees for the trucks, which would offset some enforcement costs. Vendors would pay $118 for a site permit, $50 for a license and a $600 annual fee.
Until now, the town did not have any rules for food trucks and had kicked some out of town.
