Council adopts zoning changes to define and cap mobile retail vendors in several districts

The council adopted text amendments to the town zoning code to add definitions for mobile retail vendors and artisan vendors and to cap the number of mobile retail vendors per zoning district.

Jessica, planning staff, described the changes as follow-ups to earlier work: the planning board recommended adding two definitions — a general mobile retail vendor (motor vehicle or trailer designed to sell directly to customers, excluding firearms, ammunition, tobacco and gaming products) and an artisan mobile vendor (originally designed, handcrafted goods, excluding firearms, ammunition, tobacco and baby products). She said the definitions were intended to promote clarity for staff and the public and to support promotion of artisans in town.

The code amendment also adds caps on the number of mobile retail vendors per district. Following the planning board’s recommendation, the general-business, neighborhood-mixed-use and light-industrial districts would be capped at a maximum of five mobile vendors per district; the highway-business and traditional-neighborhood districts would be capped at a maximum of 10 vendors per district. Jessica explained the differing caps reflect how the zoning code is structured across districts and a desire to balance vendor activity with existing uses.

Councilors asked clarifying questions about the “traditional neighborhood” designation and the differences between the table of permitted uses and the separately drafted TND (traditional neighborhood district) provisions. Jessica said the TND language is laid out separately in the code and needs the parallel amendment to remain consistent.

The council approved the ordinance language change; council records show an affirmative vote under the consent/public hearing process.