by Nicole Bradford
Regulations on food trucks are among the topics expected to be addressed this month as Pearland leaders work through updates and changes in city codes.
During joint sessions held each month, members of both the city council and the planning and zoning commission have been discussing possible updates to Pearland’s Unified Development Code. This document covers development-related rules such as zoning, land use, and subdivisions. A months-long update of the document is underway.
Discussion continues with another joint council and P&Z commissioners meeting this Monday.
Having exploded in popularity due to their diversity and convenience, food trucks are currently allowed at both private and permitted public events, but current codes don’t have a designation for “food truck park” as a land use.
Goals for updating codes include adding flexibility around how and when food trucks can operate, along with definitions and standards for food trucks and food truck parks.
Discussion on the city’s Unified Development Code, or UDC, has ranged from defining terms such as food truck to making the codes clearer and user-friendly overall.
Council members agreed during the April discussion that the online document would benefit from a search feature for the public.
“Not being able to look something up is extremely frustrating,” Councilman Clint Byrom said. “Searchable PDFs are pretty common. Why ours isn’t, I don’t know.”
The code update may also require less parking for businesses.
Parking requirements written in the past have often mandated too much parking, city staff said, and spaces that remain empty for much of the year could instead be used to promote walkable districts. The update will explore reducing parking minimums and requiring landscaping or screening for large parking lots.
The next meeting among the council and Planning and Zoning is set for 4 p.m., May 19, at City Hall. Meeting notices and agendas are posted at pearlandtx.gov.
