Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

RED BANK: FOOD TRUCK BAN TO CONTINUE

red-bank-gas-station-050719-500x375-3197243A proposal would have allowed food trucks to operate on underused property outside the downtown, including the vacant gas station at Riverside and Bridge avenues. (Photo by Trish Russoniello. Click to enlarge)

By JOHN T. WARD

hot-topic_03-220x138-220x138-7378486A push to end Red Bank’s ban on food trucks ran out of gas Wednesday night.

Over the objections of one of their colleagues, council members sided with owners of brick-and-mortar restaurants, who say trucks would unfairly undermine them while rewarding other property owners for neglect.

In June, Borough Business Administrator Ziad Shehady floated the idea of allowing food trucks to operate on private property, “with restrictions, obviously.”

“There are a lot of food trucks that are interested in coming to Red Bank, and doing business in Red Bank, but they have no mechanism by which they can do that,” he said at the time.

Shehady’s suggestion was to change zoning laws to allow trucks to operate outside the central business district on underutilized sites where projects are stalled or in bankruptcy, such as the vacant gas station at Bridge and Riverside avenues.

The idea had the support of Councilwoman Kate Triggiano and Councilman Michael Ballard, who said he was “all for it, as long as they clean up the property.”

But Shehady had not yet discussed the idea with Red Bank RiverCenter, the administrator of the borough’s special improvement district, he said at the time. And in the intervening weeks, when the established businesses were polled on the idea, they reiterated their past opposition.

“It was presented to the entire board at RiverCenter, and they were pretty unanimously opposed to it,” said Councilman Ed Zipprich. “With 30 to 40 people around the table, there wasn’t one that supported the notion.”

Councilman Hazim Yassin said he had spoken to members of RiverCenter and the Red Bank Business Alliance, and “I don’t think I’ve talked to a single person who was was OK with this.”

Ballard said that if the trucks were to be allowed, it should only be on public property, “for a food truck weekend, or something like that.”

Allowing owners of vacant sites to profit by renting space to trucks “would basically be rewarding them for not doing what they’re supposed to do,” Yassin said.

Triggiano, though, argued that trucks would “bring economic vitality” to the town.

“I think that when you look at the economics of it, the pie gets bigger, it’s not taking somebody else’s pie,” she said, adding that she was never in favor of allowing the trucks on disused sites, but rather at special events.

RiverCenter executive director Jim Scavone told the council he had conducted separate surveys of the restaurant and non-restaurant communities, and found strong opposition in both.

“We are OK with a one-day event or a weekend event,” he said. “We allow food trucks at some of our own events, such as the Oyster Festival, those sorts of things.”

But “the organization is opposed to allowing food trucks on a regular basis, whether it be private property or public property,” he said. “The business community was very clear about that.”

On what rationale?, asked Triggiano.

“People who own food trucks are not invested in the town,” Scavone said. “The businesses, and especially the restaurants, feel they invest a lot in this community.”

“I think it does have the potential to affect the businesses that have invested a lot in the town in a negative way,” he said.

Mayor Pasquale Menna, recalling a failed 2011 push for a single spot for a food truck to operate, said it appeared there was a consensus on the issue, and that it was again time to “put it to bed.”

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
redbankgreen Classics
Partyline
DEM GOV HOPEFUL FULOP VISITS RED BANK
110 people braved the ice on Super Bowl Sunday morning to head to Triumph Brewery to hear Steve Fulop’s case for why he should be our ...
REAL BRICKS!
Pardon our nerdiness, but we were excited to see the facade of the long-vacant building at 42 Monmouth being renovated with a facade that ap ...
NAVESINK SUNRISE
Sunrise colors Sunday over the Navesink. Shot from Maple Cove. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
PET OWNER TO RED BANK: SCREW YOU
(photo and text by Partyline contributor Anna Cruz; headline by redbankgreen) Remember to scoop the poop!  
A HAIR DRYER IN A TREE?
(Photo and text by Partyline contributor Nicole Taetsch) If someone is missing a red hair dryer, it’s hanging from a tree on Oakland S ...
FROM DEEP LEFT FIELD..
(Photo and words by Partyline contributor Peter Cavalier) Shapes, Angles, and Colors: an Artist’s Canvas Where: A frigid Saturday morn ...
SUNSET ICE BOATING
Sunset ice boating Saturday. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
ICY NAVESINK BLISS
Ice boating is back, baby! (Photo by partyline contributor Boris Kofman)
TEACHERS GET COUNCIL KUDOS
The Mayor and Borough Council honored five teachers from the Red Bank Borough Schools who were selected for the Governor’s Educator of the ...
RED BANK LIBRARY HEAD BIDS ADIEU
Eleni Glykis in her last day on the job in Red Bank Thursday (photo by Brian Donohue) redbankgreen stopped in the Red Bank Public Library to ...
TO TOWER HILL!
Parents and kids flocked to Tower Hill on Monday morning, taking advantage of the federal holiday and perfectly timed Sunday snowfall.
BROAD STREET IN WHITE
Taken during the snowstorm Sunday. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)
Stunning Sunrise at Marine Park
Sunday’s sunrise from Marine Park. (photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
WALL STREET CLOSED FOR LEAK
Wall Street in Red Bank closed for water leak.
INDOOR SOCCER KICKS OFF
Pre-k and kindergarten aged kids were at Red Bank Middle School bright and early Sunday, participating in the indoor soccer program hosted b ...
SUNSET OVER FROZEN NAVESINK RIVER
Sunset colors Saturday evening over the ice shot from  Shrewsbury Ave. (Photo by Partyline contributor Thomas Doremus)  
ICY VIEW FROM TRAIN WINDOW
View of the partially frozen Navesink River Saturday afternoon from NJCL Train #7244. (Photo by Partyline contributor Karly Swaim)
RBR BEATS RBC IN BOYS HOOPS RIVALRY
 Red Bank Regional's boys basketball came out with the win at home against their crosstown rivals Red Bank Catholic on Tuesday in Little Si ...
FRIGID DINNER FOR WATER LINE WORKERS
Work continued into the late night hours on Bank Street Tuesday night as a crew replaced several water lines to homes under the town wide le ...
SNOWY THREE KINGS DAY
The three kings in the St. Anthony of Padua Nativity scene have a dusting of snow on their crowns as well as the gold, frankincense and myrr ...