Aurora moves to tighten food-truck rules; council presses staff on early-hours and storage options

Eric, a planner in Aurora's Planning and Business Development Department, returned to the committee with follow-up on food-truck operations and proposed UDO changes intended to address complaints and recurring operational concerns.

Staff reported roughly 84–85 code-enforcement reports about food-truck operations in a one-year period, with approximately 38 reports (about 40%) in residential areas and about 40% repeat-location reports. To address issues such as long-term on-site occupation, waste accumulation and fire/life-safety concerns, staff proposed a set of changes including required attendance during operation, daily cleanup and overnight takedown, prohibition of residential storage, and density limits.

The density proposal would require a minimum of one food truck per lot, with an additional truck per 15,000 square feet of parcel area up to a five-truck maximum. For right-of-way operations the draft limits truck spacing; on private property minimum clearances for fire lanes would remain (10 feet).

"We got about 84 code enforcement reports or 85 reports spread fairly evenly between the wards," Eric said, summarizing enforcement data and the rationale for changes. Licensing staff noted that commissary use is governed by state health code and that commercial kitchens or other approved facilities could serve as commissaries.

Council members raised practical concerns: several members requested exceptions to the existing 7 a.m. start time for certain industrial areas and active construction sites where workers rely on early morning service, and others worried that an overnight takedown requirement could be burdensome if alternative storage or commissary options are limited. Council Member Lawson emphasized a need for compliance and requested limits where truck concentrations create neighborhood impacts; she cited one location with 16 trucks in a single parking area.

Trevor Bond (tax and licensing) said commissary arrangements vary and are approved by the health department; staff committed to researching local commissary capacity and storage options. The committee asked staff to bring the revised language to a study session with added options for early-hours exceptions (construction/industrial buffers), a plan to identify acceptable storage/commercial lots, and further outreach to food-truck operators.

Next steps: staff will refine the proposed code amendments, research commissary and storage options and potential early-hours exceptions, and present the package at a study session before returning to PED and the planning and zoning commission for hearings.