HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - The Rocket City's growing food truck scene just got some more good news.

At its meeting last Thursday night, the Huntsville City Council amended the zoning ordinance to allow food trucks in most commercial areas across the city, including downtown, John Hunt Park and Jetplex Industrial Park near the airport.

A rule adopted earlier this year let mobile eateries set up downtown - but on arts and entertainment district nights only.

The zoning change, which passed unanimously, welcomes food trucks to operate seven days a week downtown and in areas zoned highway business, commercial recreation, light industry, heavy industry or commercial industrial park.

There are a few conditions, however.

While food trucks can open at 6 a.m. and serve until 2 a.m. Thursday through Sunday - they will have to close by 10 p.m. other nights -- the city is requiring them to park at least 100 feet from the nearest sit-down restaurant.

Also, food trucks will have to make arrangements for restroom facilities that meet health department guidelines. And they cannot park in loading zones or public rights-of-way.

Click here to read the ordinance.



Huntsville City Councilman Will Culver. (File photo)

City Councilman Will Culver, a former Huntsville police officer, said allowing food trucks to stay open after the bars close at 2 a.m. could help reduce drunk driving. Someone who eats right after leaving a bar "would slow the absorption of alcohol into their bloodstream," Culver said at Thursday's meeting. "And that means they may not have an accident."

Ashley Nichols, an urban planner with the city, said 2 a.m. is a common curfew in cities that Huntsville studied when drafting its food truck proposal.

Just two people spoke about food trucks at Thursday's public hearing. City government watcher Jackie Reed and Isaiah Ashe, a former Madison County Health Department inspector, both questioned whether the health department has the manpower to properly inspect food trucks as well as sit-down restaurants.

"The health department doesn't have that many employees," said Ashe. "Do we have adequate personnel to handle it?"

There are currently less than a dozen licensed food trucks in Huntsville including On-On Tacos, Food Fighters Bustaurant, Badd Newz BBQ and Sugar Belle Cupcake Truck.