Food Truck Park One Vote Away From Reality

After a 6 hour public hearing Monday the Fort Myers Beach Town Council voted 5-0 to move a proposed Food Truck Park on Estero Boulevard onto a final public hearing and vote April 7th. The proposed venue has been met with stiff opposition from the neighboring residents and Pelican Watch condo owners.

Fort Myers Beach residents Debbie and Jamie Hotka own the property and Dan Myers would be the General Manager of the business. The plan is to have 5 food truck pads, outdoor seating including right on Estero Boulevard, bike racks, restrooms open to the public during operating business hours (including showers), a paid parking lot with 45 spaces open to the public during operating business hours, a 2500 square foot 2-floor main building that serves beer and wine on the first floor with offices and storage on the 2nd floor. Live music will be in the main open structure which has three sides and faces Estero Boulevard to try to deflect the sound from the neighbors as much as possible.

Homeowners and Pelican Watch condo owners behind the proposed project came out in opposition to the project at the LPA meeting month and again at Monday’s Town Council meeting. They are concerned about loud music, the smell of food and garbage, people parading through their neighborhood to use the public restrooms, traffic going up and down their street and drivers parking on their property. They are not opposed to redeveloping that land, they just believe an open air business like this one does not fit on that spot. They would be in favor of another completely closed in restaurant building. Last month the LPA approved the proposal in a 4-3 vote.

The Town Council approval Monday came with strings attached. Councilman Scott Safford wants to see a solid short-term parking plan for customers that may be stopping just to pick up food and for Door-Dash drivers. Safford’s concern is customers parking on the side streets to avoid having to pay to park on the food truck property.

Vice Mayor Jim Attoerholt said the top concern he heard from the neighbors was amplified music. His yes vote is conditioned upon simplified music being played only 2 days per week for 3 hours on those two days between the hours of 2PM and 8PM. He also wants it codified that the property owners will only hold up to 6 special events, outside their normal business operations, throughout the year.

Councilwoman Karen Woodson wants to see an increased buffer between the Pelican Watch pool fence – which is only feet away from the proposed business. She also agreed with Councilman John King who wants to see the owner reconsider bringing back shade sails – which was in an earlier proposal. Woodson’s concern is what Pelican Watch residents would see when they look out their windows or sitting on their lanai.

The food truck venue team plans to address all of those concerns and bring back a modified plan for the second public hearing.

The Town Council did kick out an LPA recommendation that the property owner file quarterly reports that they are complying with all the town rules and codes. That’s something never been required of any other business. Councilman John King called that proposed condition “the Department of Redundant Redundancy.”

In all the town has attached 28 conditions for approval. However staff admitted some of the conditions were things required anyway, such as making sure they are FEMA compliant.

The second public hearing on the proposal is set for April 7th. If approved, construction could begin in 6 months and is expected to take up to a year.

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