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One of downtown Ridgefield’s newest features has city staff thinking about establishing permanent code to allow for it to continue, and more of its kind to pop up in the city.
The city is currently developing permanent code allowing for food cart pods in Ridgefield. The existing pod, known as “Carts by the Park,” is located on Pioneer Street just east of the intersection with Main Avenue. It features several food cart businesses that operate throughout the day, every day but Sunday.
The program began in 2021 and requires operators to have a temporary permit with the city.. That program is set to expire next March, Ridgefield Community Development Director Claire Lust said.
The city staff intends to have proposed code language before the council for a vote in winter, before that expiration. Right now, city code has a gap in its standards, which have been developed for permanent structures and not an area like a food cart pod, Lust said.
“It’s such a unique use. It doesn’t really fit in our typical site plan standards,” Lust said.
With the operators and cart owners looking to stay open, the city realized it would need permanent standards moving forward, Lust said.
Thus far, the council has not had any specific conversations and have been more thematic, Lust said. As a whole, the council is interested in continuing to draw visitors into its downtown area and businesses.
In an email sent to the city, Kristen Riggs, the manager of Carts by the Park, noted a few topics the city should address, including trash removal, lighting, fencing and restroom requirements.
Any changes the council makes in future will not be exclusive to the Carts by the Park program, as it will be citywide code.
“Although we have this example to look at, it’s not about one project or one site,” Lust said.
The city has received interest in creating similar pods, including another downtown site and one on the east side of the city, across the Interstate 5 junction, Lust said.
The next step will be city staff developing a draft list of suggestions for changes to present to the council for more discussion, Lust said.
Lust noted code updates are always a topic for the city’s community development department. Having a project like food cart pods was something the average citizen has a better understanding of, given how prominent they can be in a community.
“When we get a chance to talk about something like food carts, that’s very real for people,” Lust said. “You can walk down the street and see a food cart.”
Though new for Ridgefield, the city is drawing from examples of other food cart pods in the region. They are becoming a trend for cities that want to increase amenities for their residents.
“It’s something you see a lot in bigger cities, and it’s cool to see something like that here [because it] really draws people in,” Lust said.
